Affected by seasonal depression? Study shows which states are most vulnerable
Leaves are falling and temperatures are dropping, meaning the “winter blues” are around the corner.
Officially coined seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the funk is a subtype of depression that affects about 5% of the U.S. population during the fall and winter seasons, sending people into bouts of excessive sleepiness, carbohydrate cravings, anxiety and weight gain.
The further away from the warm, sunny equator you live, the more likely you are to experience SAD — but some states are more vulnerable than others.
An investigation into Google searches related to SAD from October 2020 to March 2021 and national weather data found Alaska and Ohio residents are the most susceptible to SAD. The percentage of time between sunrise and sunset that light reaches the ground during winter months in both states is 34% and 36%, respectively, meaning residents’ days are overshadowed by darkness.
The U.S. average time with sunlight during the winter season is about 49%, according to the investigation done by CertaPet, a telehealth platform that provides clinical services for people seeking “animal-assisted interventions” for their mental health treatment plan.
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Increased darkness can boost the production of a sleep-related hormone called melatonin, which affects slumber and mood, Mental Health America notes. The hormone can also affect your “biological clock,” or circadian rhythm, in ways that mess with your normal sleep and wake patterns, causing seasonal depression symptoms over time.
Ohio’s average winter temperature is just below freezing at 29.5 degrees Fahrenheit while Alaska’s ismuch colder at 2.6 degrees. The U.S. average is 32 degrees.
What’s more, Ohio had the highest Google search volume for the term “seasonal depression” of all 50 states.
Minnesota and Montana are the next most vulnerable to SAD.
When researchers zoomed into just two factors — the percentage of sunshine and Google search volume for “seasonal depression” — they found residents in Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Vermont and Alaska experience winter blues the most.
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Hawaii, on the other hand, is least susceptible to SAD, with an average percentage of sunshine of 65%, an average winter temperature of 67 degrees Fahrenheit and a low search volume of seasonal depression-related terms overall.
Missouri, Florida and Arizona are the next states that worry little over SAD. California and Nevada are also less susceptible to the seasonal funk thanks to their sunny tendencies.
How to prevent and treat seasonal depression
Shorter days with less sunlight beginning in the fall can reduce your levels of serotonin, a key hormone that affects mood and happiness. Lower levels of serotonin have been linked to depression.
Some ways to prevent SAD are by exercising more, spending time outside, taking vitamin D supplements and attending cognitive behavioral therapy, according to Cleveland Clinic advice. For some, antidepressant medications may help, along with other treatments.
Another popular SAD treatment is light therapy. It usually involves some sort of “light box,” Harvard Medical School experts say, and works by stimulating the part of the brain that helps regulate circadian rhythms.
These boxes typically provide 10,000 lux — a measure of light intensity — that’s about 100 times brighter than average indoor lighting (a sunny day is about 50,000 lux). Sitting next to this light for 30 minutes a day is said to help prevent and treat SAD in some people, though it doesn’t work for everyone, experts say.
“I think it’s very effective,” Katie Sharkey, an associate professor of medicine, psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School, told Vox in 2019. “But I would recommend that people who have depressive symptoms get seen by someone who can collaborate with them on this treatment, just like you would with a pill or therapy.”
People with a family history of SAD, as well as those with major depression or bipolar disorder, may be more likely to experience seasonal depression. Experts with the Mayo Clinic say if you “feel down for days at a time and you can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor.”
“This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation, or you feel hopeless or think about suicide.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 12:29 PM.
