World of Psychology

About Seasonal Affective Disorder

By John M. Grohol, PsyD
Founder & Editor-in-Chief

About the Winter Blues (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

Winter depression (or winter blues) is a common affliction for those who live in our northern climate. Its clinical name is seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) and up to 5% of the population (especially in northern states) may suffer from it. Seasonal affective disorder is characterized by feelings of sadness and depression that occur in the winter months when the temperatures drop and the days grow short. The depression is often associated with excessive eating or sleeping and weight gain and has occurred for both the past 2 years. Women are twice to three times more likely to suffer from the winter blues than men.


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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 18 Dec 2005
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Grohol, J. (2005). About Seasonal Affective Disorder. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 25, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2005/12/18/about-seasonal-affective-disorder/

 

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