Key TakeawaysSeasonal affective disorder (SAD) occurs during the winter and is often referred to as the winter blues. The condition can cause feelings of sadness for people living in colder climates who endure long, dark winters.SAD is a form of depression. While it is not uncommon to feel down during the colder months of the year SAD is more severe and can interfere with a person’s everyday activities.There are many ways to treat and cope with SAD, even during a pandemic.

Key Takeaways

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) occurs during the winter and is often referred to as the winter blues. The condition can cause feelings of sadness for people living in colder climates who endure long, dark winters.SAD is a form of depression. While it is not uncommon to feel down during the colder months of the year SAD is more severe and can interfere with a person’s everyday activities.There are many ways to treat and cope with SAD, even during a pandemic.

As the global COVID-19 pandemic approaches the one-year mark, conversations about social isolation and mental health are only growing. In the U.S., winter is approaching, and long summer days of sunshine have given way to colder, and darker evenings.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 5% of adults in the U.S. experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a form of depression that spikes during the wintertime.Now, experts are concerned about the overlap between SAD and COVID-19 associated mental health effects that may occur this year as winter picks up.

This issue is only growing. Public health experts were concerned about an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S. even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What This Means For YouSeasonal affective disorder can affect anyone. If you have the condition, the winter months of the year can be especially difficult. You might be having a harder time coping this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you need more support, reach out to a mental health professional. Whether you use light therapy, medication, or just have someone to talk to, taking care of your mental wellness will help you cope with SAD symptoms and stress related to the pandemic.

What This Means For You

Seasonal affective disorder can affect anyone. If you have the condition, the winter months of the year can be especially difficult. You might be having a harder time coping this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you need more support, reach out to a mental health professional. Whether you use light therapy, medication, or just have someone to talk to, taking care of your mental wellness will help you cope with SAD symptoms and stress related to the pandemic.

COVID-19 and SAD

With a pandemic that shows no signs of slowing down, many people in the U.S. are still under shelter-in-place orders and are confined to socializing with those in their own household.

According to data from the U.S. census, more than 33 million Americans live alone.With COVID-19, that means no social contact at all for millions of people—potentially for months on end.

In an opinion piece that appeared in theAnnals of Internal Medicine,several doctors—Rebekah Mannix, Lois Lee, and Eric Fleegler—wrote about the mental toll of safety protocols.

“The United States faces an unprecedented combination of a public health and economic disaster," they said. “The physical distancing necessary to curb transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has disrupted social networks. Many people live in isolation, and the mental health of the population will likely suffer.”

Experts worry that winter will make COVID-19 fatigue worse. “In some ways, the ongoing stress makes us feel as vulnerable as little children,” relationship consultant Janice Presser, PhD, tells Verywell. “We crave contact, and we can’t get it. At that point, as adults, our reasoning kicks in and we are capable of making a choice. It might be a bad choice —putting ourselves and others at risk—or we might try creative alternatives like Zoom parties.”

Janice Presser, Ph.D.In some ways, the ongoing stress makes us feel as vulnerable as little children.

Janice Presser, Ph.D.

In some ways, the ongoing stress makes us feel as vulnerable as little children.

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Many people feel a bit down when winter rolls around and the days get shorter, darker, and colder. However, SAD is a serious condition that is more than a touch of the blues.

While anyone can experience SAD, most people with the condition first report symptoms between the ages of 18 to 30. The condition is more common in women than in men.

Symptoms of SADSymptoms of the condition typically last about 40% of the year and can include:Feeling depressed or sadThe inability to enjoy once-pleasant activitiesChanges in appetite; eating more often, craving carbohydratesChange in sleep patterns; usually sleeping too muchIncreased fatigue despite increased sleep hoursInability to sit still or pacing, handwringing or low-level movements or speech (these must be severe), or an increase in purposeless physical activityFeelings of worthlessness or guiltHaving difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisionsSuicidal thoughts or thoughts of death

Symptoms of SAD

Symptoms of the condition typically last about 40% of the year and can include:Feeling depressed or sadThe inability to enjoy once-pleasant activitiesChanges in appetite; eating more often, craving carbohydratesChange in sleep patterns; usually sleeping too muchIncreased fatigue despite increased sleep hoursInability to sit still or pacing, handwringing or low-level movements or speech (these must be severe), or an increase in purposeless physical activityFeelings of worthlessness or guiltHaving difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisionsSuicidal thoughts or thoughts of death

Symptoms of the condition typically last about 40% of the year and can include:

Risk Factors

SAD is diagnosed more often in women than in men and occurs more frequently in younger adults than in older adults.

There are certain factors that might make it more likely that you will experience SAD, including:

Treatments for SAD

The National Institute of Mental Health outlines four main categories of treatment for SAD, which can be used individually or together to help someone manage their symptoms:

Can a Light Box Treat SAD?

When to Get Help

If you feel down for weeks at a time, cannot find the motivation to do activities you usually enjoy, your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you turn to alcohol or other substances for comfort or relaxation, or you feel hopeless or are thinking about self-harm, it’s time to talk to a trusted healthcare provider.

Your physician can help you connect with a mental health professional who can help you get treatment for SAD and learn to manage the condition. As we all try to cope with the pandemic and learn to live with a “new normal,” taking the time to tend to your mental health is more important now than ever.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association.Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).Hawkley LC, Cacioppo JT.Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms.Ann Behav Med. 2010;40(2):218-227. doi:10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8United States Census Bureau.One-Person Households on the Rise.Xiong J, Lipsitz O, Nasri F, Lui LMW, Gill H, Phan L, et al.Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review.J Affect Disord. 2020;277:55-64. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.001Mannix R, Lee LK, Fleegler EW.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and firearms in the united states: will an epidemic of suicide follow?.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;173(3):228-229. doi:10.7326/M20-1678Mayo Clinic.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).National Institute of Mental Health.Seasonal Affective Disorder.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association.Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).Hawkley LC, Cacioppo JT.Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms.Ann Behav Med. 2010;40(2):218-227. doi:10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8United States Census Bureau.One-Person Households on the Rise.Xiong J, Lipsitz O, Nasri F, Lui LMW, Gill H, Phan L, et al.Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review.J Affect Disord. 2020;277:55-64. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.001Mannix R, Lee LK, Fleegler EW.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and firearms in the united states: will an epidemic of suicide follow?.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;173(3):228-229. doi:10.7326/M20-1678Mayo Clinic.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).National Institute of Mental Health.Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychiatric Association.Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).Hawkley LC, Cacioppo JT.Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms.Ann Behav Med. 2010;40(2):218-227. doi:10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8United States Census Bureau.One-Person Households on the Rise.Xiong J, Lipsitz O, Nasri F, Lui LMW, Gill H, Phan L, et al.Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review.J Affect Disord. 2020;277:55-64. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.001Mannix R, Lee LK, Fleegler EW.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and firearms in the united states: will an epidemic of suicide follow?.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;173(3):228-229. doi:10.7326/M20-1678Mayo Clinic.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).National Institute of Mental Health.Seasonal Affective Disorder.

American Psychiatric Association.Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Hawkley LC, Cacioppo JT.Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms.Ann Behav Med. 2010;40(2):218-227. doi:10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8

United States Census Bureau.One-Person Households on the Rise.

Xiong J, Lipsitz O, Nasri F, Lui LMW, Gill H, Phan L, et al.Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review.J Affect Disord. 2020;277:55-64. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.001

Mannix R, Lee LK, Fleegler EW.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and firearms in the united states: will an epidemic of suicide follow?.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;173(3):228-229. doi:10.7326/M20-1678

Mayo Clinic.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

National Institute of Mental Health.Seasonal Affective Disorder.

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