Climate Change and Seasonal Affective Disorder
The craving for reinvention seems to suck all of the life out of January. Weight Watchers ads work in tandem with gym promotions to shame Americans into “getting healthier.” Individuals set new regimens, hoping to sleep more and spend less time on their screens. How can people possibly have any fun with so many new standards implemented in their lives at once?
I confess that my sourness towards January is motivated by more than the lack of enjoyment I find in pursuing New Year’s resolutions. Frankly, I feel a little left out. I rarely have enough energy to set a goal and then try to achieve it during the month. I’d rather be in my bed, sleeping or reading — my ideal form of hibernation. I am a part of the 5% of Americans that suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD, often called seasonal depression, shares many symptoms with major depressive disorder, including feelings of sadness, appetite changes, increased fatigue, and in some cases, suicidal ideation. According to the American Psychological Association, two types of SAD exist: winter seasonal and summer seasonal. Winter SAD — the burden I must bear — is generally correlated with changes in the brain due to fewer daylight hours and less sunlight.
I began suffering from SAD at age 16. My depression reduced my enthusiasm and motivation to all-time lows throughout January and February of 2021. This period coincided with Winter Storm Uri, the coldest winter storm Texas had experienced since 1989. This storm knocked out my family’s power and water supplies for several days, resulting in a scramble to get resources from neighbors and the nearest grocery stores.
While changes in temperature have not been confirmed to influence winter SAD, the anxiety produced amidst natural disasters certainly exacerbates depression. I, for one, experienced a worsening of my depression during and after the winter storm. Unfortunately, such storms are expected to become more common as temperatures rise in the Arctic. A 2021 study in Science linked the weakening of the polar vortex from climate change to weather events like Winter Storm Uri.
The impacts of climate change on winter SAD are fairly indirect. Climate change has greater immediate impacts on victims of summer SAD. Heat, humidity, and long hours of sunlight trigger SAD symptoms in summertime sufferers. As climate change continues to cause global temperature increases, health experts fear that summer SAD could become more common and that symptoms in current patients will be exacerbated by the heat. This second factor could put individuals with summer SAD at greater risk for suicide. A 2018 study conducted in the United States and Mexico found that increases in suicide rates were positively correlated with increased temperatures under climate change.
Changes in the pollen season may also aggravate summer SAD. Researchers found a statistically significant positive correlation between pollen exposure and summer SAD. Climate change increases the severity of and lengthens the annual pollen season, which could result in a worsening of summer SAD symptoms.
As I finish this piece after my third midday nap of the week, I want to call attention to treatment options available for SAD. Treatments for both winter and summer SAD can include therapy —including light therapy—and medication. Outside of these interventions, individuals with winter SAD can try to combat our symptoms with exercise, social engagements, and healthy dieting. Believe me, I know how challenging it is to pursue any of these activities while dealing with SAD. I’ve found exercise particularly helpful (when I can actually muster up enough energy to work out). People dealing with summer SAD can also find relief in these three activities and should emphasize keeping cool to avoid irritability.
RCC National Environment Leadership Fellow — Anna Hyslop – University of Oklahoma
Anna is a junior at the University of Oklahoma studying Economics and Global Energy, Environment, and Resources, with a minor in the Arabic language. During her freshman year, she founded Students for Local Action (SLA), the university’s first organization dedicated to providing students with real-world experience in sustainable policy creation. In the summer of 2024, she interned in the Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions.
