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DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE
Seasonal Affective Disorder
BY BECKI LEDFORD
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), known colloquially as seasonal depression and
winter blues, has become more widely discussed in recent years. Despite this
increase in awareness, the discussion about SAD, its symptoms and how to deal with
it primarily focuses on adults. Children and adolescents can also be affected by SAD,
and while the presenting symptoms can be different, dealing with SAD is no less
diffi cult for children.

• Depression that begins during a specifi c season every year
for at least two years
• Depression that ends during a specifi c
season every year for at least two years
• No episodes of depression during
the season in which you experience a
normal mood for at least two years
• Many more seasons of depression than
seasons without depression over
the lifetime of your illness
In general, when most people
think of depression, they think
of how it presents in adults:
depressed mood, tearfulness,
lack of pleasure in activities, low
energy, feelings of worthlessness,
etc. In children and adolescents,
however, the symptoms of
depression may look a litt le
diff erent.

For instance, rather than
overt feelings of sadness or
observed tearfulness, children
and adolescents may be irritable
or aggressive. Rather than being
identifi ed as fatigued, children
or adolescents experiencing a
depressive episode may be pegged as
“lazy” by their parents or teachers. The
22 January 2019
washingtonFAMILY.com diminished ability to think or concentrate or the indecisiveness
we see in adults with depression may be viewed as being
off -task and disruptive at school in children and adolescents.

This misidentifi cation of children and adolescents with
SAD as being lazy, disruptive or irritable may be even
more common. If a child is displaying these symptoms
year-round, parents and teachers may fi nd it easier to
identify depression as the underlying cause. On the other
hand, a child who only displays these symptoms from
November to March may be seen as a child who just
doesn’t like school and isn’t putt ing in the eff ort.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
more than 1 million children and adolescents suff er
from SAD each year. So what causes some people to
develop symptoms of depression only during
certain times of the year?
The specifi c cause of SAD
has not been identifi ed, but
several factors are theorized
to be at play, including one’s
own biological clock (circadian
rhythm), serotonin levels and
melatonin levels.

Circadian Rhythm
This theory posits that the
decrease in the amount of sunlight
in fall and winter may be the
cause of fall/winter-onset SAD
because the decrease in sunlight
disrupts the body’s internal clock.

A red fl ag for this in children
and adolescents is sudden
oversleeping in the fall and
winter months with no
such issues in the spring
or summer.

Boy: IStock/Getty Images Plus/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-5) uses the following criteria to identify or diagnose
depression with a seasonal patt ern: