- A period of depression brought on by the short days of wintertime
- Sometimes the winter depression alternates with summertime mania
- Symptoms in the wintertime include: depressed, sleepy, slow, and overeating
- In summertime, those affected by SAD experience are more energetic, active, and become thinner
- Predominantly in women and starts in early adulthood

Seasonal Affective Disorder

While the term originates in Buddhism, the concept of mindfulness has grown to describe a general state of consciousness in which a person is more aware and accepting of their physical senses and thoughts in the present moment. Practicing mindfulness is believed to help alleviate mental suffering.

Mindfulness

People with SAD tend to report lower levels of mindfulness during the winter time compared to other seasons across a span of 2 years. This qualitative difference in the trajectory of SAD has been attributed to increased neuroticism about environmental changes. A theory pertaining to the origin of SAD is the dual vulnerability theory.

Decreased Mindfulness During Winter

Considering decreased mindfulness during winter time and the impact of underlying thought patterns on SAD symptomatology, potential solutions include mindfulness training at the beginning of the season focused on maintaining awareness of wellbeing and thoughts during weather changes, staying engaged with the surrounding environment despite decreased daylight, and using a benefit-seeking mindset during winter to enjoy seasonal features. 

SAD Interventions Using Mindfulness and Mindset

While SAD can evoke depressive symptoms, people who indicated on the Winter Mindset scale that they enjoyed winter as a season, including the the activities and light levels associated with it, also had higher scores on measures of life satisfaction and subjective well-being. Enjoyable aspects of winter include: winter activities, natural beauty, soft light, and coziness. 

Positive Winter Mindset and SAD

People who indicate winter as a season personally associated with darkness, sadness, lethargy were more likely to be less satisfied with life overall and have lower levels of subjective wellbeing. Whereas two people in the same environment may experience the same things, their perceptions may differ based on a factors like attitudes and beliefs. Research suggests there is a mediating psychological factor of mindset on seasonal mood, and by extension, SAD outcomes. 

Negative Winter Mindset and SAD

Seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a common and reoccurring condition impacting mood and energy level during seasonal changes. According to research, these behavioral changes in response to the environment are correlated with differing seasonal mindsets.

Grand Valley State University

Health Psychology research related to Depression includes studies on the effects of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) on people with chronic illness, seasonal patterns in mindfulness and attitudes in people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the influence of sunlight and serotonin on mood, and a pilot study comparing CBT plus exercise versus treatment-as-usual for anxiety and depression in university students.

Health Psychology Research Relating to Depression

Meesters, A. N., Schroevers, M. J., Stewart, R. E., Fleer, J., & Meesters, Y. (2022). Seasonal patterns in mindfulness in people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 8, 100341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100341

Seasonal patterns in mindfulness in people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Leibowitz, K., & Vittersø, J. (2020). Winter is coming: Wintertime mindset and wellbeing in Norway. International Journal of Wellbeing, 10(4), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v10i4.935

Winter is coming: Wintertime mindset and wellbeing in Norway

Chronic physical and mental illnesses severely impair the daily activities of people. When major depressive disorder presents itself as a co-morbid illness to existing chronic illnesses, patients are more likely to encounter health problems. Generally, people with both MDD and chronic illness(s) had a greater number of healthcare utilizations, work absences, and short-term disabilities than people with MDD but no physical conditions or people with physical conditions but no MDD. 

Effect of Major Depressive Disorder on People with Chronic Illnesses

An intervention combining cognitive behavior therapy and exercise may be effective in treating stress, anxiety and mood symptoms among university students, a population with unique barriers to treatment-as-usual CBT.

CBT + Exercise vs Treatment as Usual in Treating Anxiety 
and Depression in University Students

Variations in weather patterns, such as decreased sunlight during rainy seasons, are often associated with mood changes like sadness, while sunny days tend to promote happiness. When these seasonal mood variations are severe and clinically diagnosed, they fall under Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation, mediates these changes, demonstrating a relationship between normal seasonal variations in sunlight and brain serotonin levels.

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