'Winter Blues': How does change of seasons affect human condition?

Experts told DailyMail.com that the transition from summer to fall and winter can be hard on some, causing a phenomenon also called the "winter blues." Sunlight becomes rarer at the end of the year, which disrupts a person's circadian rhythm, a risk factor for depression.

School-age children are most at risk in early September. After a summer full of haphazard play with friends and family, with minimal responsibility, the sudden change of a structured school day and the need to complete assignments can come as a shock.

In the most serious cases, these late-life depressions can result from a condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a common condition that affects about one in twenty adults in the United States. It usually begins to manifest in late fall, when the days get especially short.

Dr. Amit Etkin, a psychiatry professor at Stanford University and founder and CEO of Alto Neuroscience, told DailyMail.com that many activities that can distract people from depression or other problems in their lives sort of dry up in the fall.

Dr. Gary Maslow, an associate professor of psychiatry at Duke University, said the key to these sudden shifts in emotions lies in understanding how the body dies in transition.

"All transitions periods in a person's life are relatively stressful. Stress is one of the leading causes of depressive symptoms - and often is itself both a cause and symptom of the condition," he explains.

While there is no definitive solution to seasonal affective disorder or other types of summer depression, people can take steps to cope with it and reduce its impact.

If a child seems moody or withdrawn for an extended period of time at the beginning of the school year, parents may want to seek medical help.

Adults who suffer from depression in the fall and winter should purchase an SAD lamp, a device that mimics indoor sunlight, to help readjust the circadian rhythm and alleviate problems.
However, a person suffering from a severe form of SAD should seek medical attention. 

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