Seasonal Affective Disorder in Children

A larger dose of sunlight is the antidote for kids who become especially ornery as winter approaches and the hours of daylight dwindle down to a meager few.

1. Sunlight helps minimize being sad and having SAD. Sad (small letters) is having the “winter blues.” SAD (capital letters) stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder, a more serious form of the winter blues. Until recently this condition was regarded with skepticism by mainstream mental health experts. No more. Evidence suggests it does exist – more so in adults but also in children, even young children.

2. The winter blues is feeling gloomy much of the time. Sufferers have less energy and difficulty concentrating, become irritable more easily, need more sleep, and take longer to get up in the morning. In younger children, crankiness and crying spells may occur more often.

3. People with SAD have various degrees of depression. In severe cases, SAD is a debilitating condition, preventing sufferers from functioning normally in their personal and school or professional lives.

4. Seasonality of the symptoms makes the diagnosis. Commonly, symptoms begin in the late fall, become worse as the days grow shorter, peak in January or February, and begin to wane in March and April.

5. The severity of symptoms depends on an individual’s sensitivity to decreased light. The process is complex and poorly understood, involving the body’s sleep/wake cycle, hormones and many other factors. Light enters the body mostly through the pupils of the eyes and then travels to specific points in the brain. The process may be akin to that which causes winter hibernation in some species of animals.

6. The further north you live, the more common the condition. In Canada, Finland, Ireland and the northern United States, 6% to 8% of the population is affected – up to 15% to 20%, if very mild cases are included. While winter blues and SAD occur predominantly in adults, in the United States alone more than one million children are believed to be afflicted. Winter blues and SAD are not seen in the tropics. And cases are rare in the Southern Hemisphere where few people live where winters are long.

7. Winter blues and SAD are more difficult to diagnose in children. Symptoms tend to be milder and, since they occur in the winter months, are often blamed on school-related issues. Signs include being frequently late for school, having difficulty doing homework, experiencing grades dropping as the winter progresses, and avoiding social interactions.

8. An hour of exposure to daylight helps alleviate symptoms. Direct sunlight is best, but overcast daylight is also helpful. Have children walk to school and ask teachers to seat them near windows in classrooms. Let them participate in outdoor winter activities after school and do their homework after dark. Around the house, keep curtains open during the day. Trim tree branches that block light. Place chairs near a window. Rarely, cases may need professional counseling.

9. Electric devices are available which emit specific artificial light to supplement natural light. Learn safety precautions – how far a child should sit from the light, for example. Generally, 30 to 60 minutes of exposure daily relieves symptoms. Rarely, cases may need professional counseling. A good discussion on light therapy is available at the Mayo Clinic.

10. SAD may help explain the popularity of winter vacations in the tropics. People who enjoy such vacations generally give “relaxation” as the main reason. In fact, unknowingly, they may feel better because of longer hours of daylight with plenty of sunshine. However, such “cures” are usually temporary. Symptoms generally reappear soon after vacationers return home.

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