Winter Blues: The Fabrication of a Mood Disorder

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, between 4% and 6% of people in the United States suffer from seasonal affective disorder or SAD. Another 10% to 20% may experience a mild form of winter-onset SAD. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is triggered by the seasons of the year. The most common type is called winter on-set depression or the winter blues. Most advocates suggest that a lack of sunlight due to shorter days in the winter is the main cause of this condition.

Two such advocates, Dr. Teodor Postolache, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Dr. Alex Korb, an adjunct assistant professor at UCLA, both believe without a doubt that “SAD is a real thing”. Both Korb and Postolache say the possible causes of seasonal depression are manifold, but an absence of sunlight appears to play a role. “We know rates of SAD vary by latitude, so they’re much lower in Florida than in Alaska,” says Korb (Heid, 2016).

So, does this mean that at the first signs of shorter days with less sunlight, a person’s outlook on life suddenly becomes so bleak that they choose to hibernate until spring arrives? It is difficult to sympathize that the weather could be the cause of one’s utter malaise. Stressful life events, such as death, job loss, or incurable disease are more suitable reasons for depression.

However, in today’s world of overly-medicated hypochondriacs and money-hungry pharmaceutical companies, another fabricated condition has become the crux for millions of people to blame their depression; but only during certain times of the year. For me, this is a hard pill to swallow (no pun intended). Remember, that this seemingly diagnosable condition did not even exist 30 years ago. I believe that the winter blues is often misdiagnosed by physicians and psychiatrists, as well as by the depressed individuals themselves.

The public latched on to the notion of winter blues, overestimated its impact and severity, and self-diagnosed on the first bad day in January. That’s what we do. “We may not have as much fun, we can feel cooped up, and we may be less active in the winter,” said Dr. David Kerr, associate professor at Oregon State University that has done his own extensive research on the disorder. “But that’s not the same as long-lasting sadness, hopelessness, and problems with appetite and sleep — real signs of a clinical depression” (Kopman, 2013).

Recent studies doubt seasonal changes cause depression. Researchers at Auburn University at Montgomery analyzed data from a 2006 survey conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because seasonal affective disorder is often linked to light exposure, researchers looked to see whether respondents in the northernmost regions of the country (with low light exposure) reported being depressed at a higher rate. They also looked to see if respondents who answered the questionnaire during the winter more frequently reported being depressed. They found no indication that either light or season affected the responses (Bess, 2016). The research actually found that the prevalence of depression is very stable across different regions, seasons of the year, and sunlight exposures.

In a recent Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index report, it is no surprise that Hawaii ranks number one in the United States for the highest overall well-being, however Alaska comes in second. The data measured five elements that make-up well-being: purpose (liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals), social relationships, financial security, community (liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community) and physical health (Herreria, 2016). These measures equate to living a happy, healthy life. So, it seems that people in the frozen tundra of Alaska embrace their long winter nights without succumbing to bouts of depression.

Therefore, being depressed during winter is not evidence that one is depressed because of winter. Any mental health specialist that diagnoses their patients with seasonal affective disorder and prescribes light therapy or some ridiculously overpriced medication to alleviate the symptoms should think twice about treating something that may not exist. Instead of the time of year, they should focus on determining the true root cause which is likely not lack of sunlight, but something deeper.

Sources
Bess, G. (2016). Your Seasonal Affective Disorder Isn't Real. Retrieved from https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/your-seasonal-affective-disorder-isnt-real

Heid, M. (2016). You Asked: Is Seasonal Affective Disorder Real? Retrieved from http://time.com/4243319/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-light-therapy/

Herreria, C. (2016). These Are The 10 Happiest States in America. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/happiest-states-in-america_us_56a820a1e4b0f6b7d5443866

Kopman, J. (2013). Winter Depression: Is It Really Seasonal Affective Disorder? Retrieved from https://weather.com/health/news/winter-responsible-your-depression-20130828