Winter's onset brings mood changes to many americans, poll finds

Many Americans experience a “winter funk” as the days grow shorter and temperatures turn colder, a new American Psychiatric Association poll reports.

Two-fifths of Americans (41%) said their mood declines during the winter months, according to the APA’s Healthy Minds Poll.

Midwesterners and Northeasterners are most affected, where 52% and 46%, respectively, said they tend to have the wintertime blues, results show.

“The winter months have less light, the time change can feel abrupt and the holidays for some are overwhelming,” said APA President Dr. Ramaswamy Viswanathan.

The poll showed that wintertime causes some Americans to:

  • Sleep more (41%)
  • Feel fatigued (28%)
  • Feel depressed (27%)
  • Lose interest in things they like (20%)

Things that help people best cope with the winter blues include talking with friends and family (46%), sleeping more (35%) and going outside (35%).

The poll also showed a difference in wintertime mood changes between women and men.

More women than men said their mood declines in the winter, 45% versus 37%.

The end of Daylight Savings Time also has a greater impact on women, with 33% saying the “fall back” was bad for their mental health versus 26% of men.

Rural residents also are more likely than city dwellers to feel the winter blues (46% versus 36%) and struggle with the time change (31% versus 24%).

These winter blues are usually mild, but a smaller percentage of people might slip into a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the APA says.

SAD usually occurs when there’s less sunlight, and then improves with the arrival of spring. Symptoms include gloom, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, and changes in appetite and sleep, the APA says.

“It’s helpful to keep tabs on your mood,” Viswanathan said in an APA news release. “If you’re feeling very poorly, consider talking to a mental health clinician, and also know that spring is only a few months away.”

SAD can be treated with light therapy, antidepressants and psychotherapy, the APA says.

The APA poll involved a sample of 2,201 adults and was conducted Oct. 18–20.

More information:
The National Institute of Mental Health has more on seasonal affective disorder.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Citation:
Winter’s onset brings mood changes to many Americans, poll finds (2024, November 6)
retrieved 6 November 2024
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-winter-onset-mood-americans-poll.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.





Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Before you post, please prove you are sentient.

What is frozen water?

Explore More

Υπνος με ΧΑΠ

Η χρόνια αποφρακτική πνευμονοπάθεια (ΧΑΠ) είναι μια πάθηση των πνευμόνων που μπορεί να δυσκολέψει την αναπνοή. Σύμφωνα με μια έρευνα , περίπου το 40 τοις εκατό των ατόμων με ΧΑΠ αναφέρουν ότι

Why Hire a Gentle Sleep Coach

Demystifying Sleep Resources: Finding Your Family’s Ideal Sleep Support Solution Find Your Family’s Ideal Sleep Support Solution In the realm of parenting, few challenges rival the exhaustion and frustration of

Study finds traditional open surgery for lymph node removal remains gold standard for testicular cancer

Although much rarer than either breast or prostate cancers, testicular cancer is the most common solid tumor in males between the ages of 15 and 35, with approximately 10,000 young