It's the season for seasonal depression

Perhaps there's a bit more Seattle in Oberlin than the average Pearl Jam fan is willing to admit.

"There are a lot of people who feel blah on a day like today," Barbara Thomas, counseling center psychologist, said Wednesday when the rain was pouring down in a steady and constant stream.

There is, however, a difference between simply feeling tired of gray skies and being affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression with symptoms that occur during the winter months, usually going into remission in the spring and summer. Common symptoms of SAD include extreme fatigue and increased appetite.

"Seasonal Affective Disorder can result from a combination of things, not just the lack of sunlight," Thomas said. Stress and expectations that stem from holiday season and academic pressures can also contribute to depression.

According to the National Mental Health Association, SAD has been tied to the production of melatonin, a sleep-related hormone that is produced and released in the dark. Melatonin production is especially prevalent during the shorter darker days of winter.

"I know a guy who had a tanning lamp on his desk so he could simulate sunlight when it was dark at 4 o'clock," college junior Jim Norton said.

Although students are aware of a change in other students' moods as the length of days get shorter and shorter, few feel personally affected.

"If it rains two weeks in a row it's hard to be enthusiastic. I don't know if it has to do with the weather of just staying inside and not exercising," said college sophomore Nik Schiffmann. "My own friends and people in general are just in a better mood in the summer."

It is important to distinguish SAD and other forms of depression from sadness. Depression is an illness, as opposed to a reaction to life situations. Its symptoms carry over to multiple thoughts and body functions whereas "the blues'" primary symptom is a general sad mood. Depression persists, while "the blahs" tend to be brief in duration. Thoughts about suicide, even suicide attempts, can result from severe depression, but people rarely respond so dramatically to sadness.

SAD is fairly rare among the general population. "We at the counseling center notice not so much seasonal cycles but academic ones," said Thomas.

While SAD affects a fairly small percentage of the population, many people who are not aware of it are clinically depressed. To educate the community about clinical depression, the counseling center participated in National Depression Screening Day last week. National Depression Screening Day is a nationwide effort to educate and inform people about depression.

The Center had an educational presentation and an anonymous written depression screening test. Participants then had the option to review the results of their screening test with a member of the Counseling Center staff.

"We will have a very brief screening to score whether or not people have symptoms of depression. The Counseling Center will also include referrals and follow-up care," said Thomas. "We have been running the screening for the last three to four years and while it doesn't have a major impact on our services, every year a few people follow through and get some help."