When pediatric psychologist Sara Gonzalez moved to Minnesota from slightly warmer Texas, she braced herself for a deluge of clients experiencing affective disorder (SAD). People who live far from the equator face a higher risk of this type of depression—as well its milder, more common cousin, the wintertime blues.
This year, as daylight wanes and COVID-19 rages, psychologists and therapists are bracing for a doubly harsh SAD season. Early studies and surveys reveal high rates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and stress in younger adults, older adults, and students during the pandemic worldwide. And that’s during the summer. Come winter, some people living in northern climates will add SAD to the already onerous list.
Minnesotans who typically experience SAD, which is officially classified as a type of major depression with a seasonal pattern, often start experiencing symptoms in November when the hours of darkness overtake…
