This time of year, when the days are shorter, it’s not uncommon to experience the “winter blues.” Sadness, lack of energy, indifference. But for many people, these negative feelings and behaviors are signs of something more serious - seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
“Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that occurs during certain times of the year when there’s less sunlight,” Neha Chaudhary, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and a counselor at the behavioral health platform Brightline, told huffpost.com. While people tend to associate seasonal affective disorder with adults, some parents have seen it in children. “It can develop in younger children, but it most commonly manifests, like many other disorders, around the time puberty begins.”
According to experts, we should be aware of mood changes, such as:
-increased sadness or irritability
-feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
-increased sensitivity or self-criticism
-low energy, changes in sleep or eating patterns
- problems concentrating, lack of motivation
-loss of interest in things they used to enjoy, and increased isolation or disconnection from friends and others.
Some children may feel "heavy" in their bodies, do not want to get out of bed, or avoid going outside. In addition, the isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more time spent in front of screens, distance learning, and reduced physical activity, can also worsen the winter blues. Pay attention to significant or sudden changes in your child.
