Key TakeawaysSeasonal affective disorder is usually linked to the winter months, but it can happen in the summer, too.Summertime SAD is less common than wintertime SAD.The pandemic may have raised your risk of developing SAD this summer.

Key Takeaways

Seasonal affective disorder is usually linked to the winter months, but it can happen in the summer, too.Summertime SAD is less common than wintertime SAD.The pandemic may have raised your risk of developing SAD this summer.

The start of this year’s summer season coincides with many slowly returning to pre-pandemic life. While many people are celebrating the change, you might be surprised to find you feel lethargic, irritable, and down.

While there are many possible reasons for a change in mood, when it coincides with a change in seasons, it could be a sign of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This disorder is usually linked to the winter months, but it can impact people in the summer, too,Hanne Hoffmann, PhD,an assistant professor at Michigan State University who studies how light affects mood and brain function, tells Verywell. “The prevalence of summer SAD is estimated to be a little lower than winter SAD, but still affects a significant number of people,” she says.

A return to normalcy may aggravate summertime SAD symptoms in people who are already prone to the condition, psychologistJohn Mayer, PhD,creator of the podcast,Anxiety’s a B!tch, tells Verywell.

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“COVID has heightened the effects of the summertime SAD possibilities,” he says. “Summer has unique characteristics and opportunities, but these create transitions and change is anxiety-provoking.”

The pandemic has even set some people up to be at an increased risk for SAD, Hoffmann says. “Many, if not most people have experienced increased and prolonged stress during COVID-19 [and] chronic stress is a risk factor for mood disorders,” she says. While there’s no data on COVID-19’s impact on SAD, Hoffmann points out that “there was a significant increase in the diagnosis of depression and mood disorders during the summer of 2020.”

With the return to a more normal life this summer, Hoffmann says that people will likely feel one of two different ways. “Some people will feel better, thanks to feeling safe among friends, and being able to have more in-person social interactions, which is helpful to reduce and present SAD,” she says. “On the other hand, some people might experience more anxiety and stress, due to the uncertainty of being with more people again.”

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What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

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SAD usually starts in the late fall or early winter, with symptoms going away in the spring and summer.But it can happen in the summer too. The disorder can cause mood changes that impact how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities—all linked to a change in seasons. Young adults are more likely to develop SAD than people in other age groups, and women are diagnosed much more often than men.

The Source Behind Summertime SAD

It’s not entirely clear what causes any form of SAD, and that’s especially true with the summertime version of the condition. However, there are some theories.

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Research suggests that people with SAD may have reduced levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps regulate mood. People with SAD might also produce too much melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Changes in both serotonin and melatonin levels can mess up a person’s daily rhythms and they may have difficulty adjusting physically and mentally to seasonal changes as a result.

What Are the Symptoms?

SAD is considered a form of major depressive disorder,and there are some overlapping symptoms. Symptoms of major depression that you may experience with SAD include:

You may also experience insomnia, poor appetite, and restlessness.

What This Means For YouWhile SAD during the summer may be less common, it still happens. If you’re feeling any SAD symptoms try working on improving your sleep, eating nutritious foods, and managing your stress. You can also reach out to a mental healthcare provider foe additional help.

What This Means For You

While SAD during the summer may be less common, it still happens. If you’re feeling any SAD symptoms try working on improving your sleep, eating nutritious foods, and managing your stress. You can also reach out to a mental healthcare provider foe additional help.

How to Treat Summertime Seasonal Affective Disorder

The first step is diagnosis. To be diagnosed with SAD, you need to experience depressive episodes that happen during specific seasons for at least two years in a row.

Treatment for SAD usually involves the use of psychotherapy and antidepressant medications, and, because many people with SAD often have vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D supplementation.

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Treatment for summertime SAD, in particular, is “not well established,” Hoffmann says, but she says there are a few things that may help.

Work on Your Sleep

“Improving your sleep quality will help make you feel better,” Hoffmann says. She recommends developing good, consistent evening and nighttime routines.

This can include:

Manage Your Stress Levels

Loss of appetite can be a problem with summertime SAD, but eating a regular, healthy diet can help your body recover from the condition, Hoffmann says.

“To help you remember to eat, make a daily schedule for when you will eat, and make sure you stick to it,” she says. You can also make an effort to sit down for regular meals with your family.

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4 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.Rosenthal NE, Sack DA, Gillin JC, et al.Seasonal affective disorder: a description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984;41(1):72-80. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790120076010Wehr TA, Sack DA, Rosenthal NE.Seasonal affective disorder with summer depression and winter hypomania.Am J Psychiatry. 1987;144(12):1602-3. doi:10.1176/ajp.144.12.1602National Institute of Mental Health.Seasonal affective disorder.American Psychiatric Association.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

4 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.Rosenthal NE, Sack DA, Gillin JC, et al.Seasonal affective disorder: a description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984;41(1):72-80. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790120076010Wehr TA, Sack DA, Rosenthal NE.Seasonal affective disorder with summer depression and winter hypomania.Am J Psychiatry. 1987;144(12):1602-3. doi:10.1176/ajp.144.12.1602National Institute of Mental Health.Seasonal affective disorder.American Psychiatric Association.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

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.

Rosenthal NE, Sack DA, Gillin JC, et al.Seasonal affective disorder: a description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984;41(1):72-80. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790120076010Wehr TA, Sack DA, Rosenthal NE.Seasonal affective disorder with summer depression and winter hypomania.Am J Psychiatry. 1987;144(12):1602-3. doi:10.1176/ajp.144.12.1602National Institute of Mental Health.Seasonal affective disorder.American Psychiatric Association.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Rosenthal NE, Sack DA, Gillin JC, et al.Seasonal affective disorder: a description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984;41(1):72-80. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790120076010

Wehr TA, Sack DA, Rosenthal NE.Seasonal affective disorder with summer depression and winter hypomania.Am J Psychiatry. 1987;144(12):1602-3. doi:10.1176/ajp.144.12.1602

National Institute of Mental Health.Seasonal affective disorder.

American Psychiatric Association.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

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