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Discussion and Self-Reflection Questions
- Do you notice a change in your mood and behavior during the winter months? If so, how would you describe those changes? Does this affect your school work? Your social life?
- What do you do to elevate your mood? Does it work?
- In the video, experts advise parents to be on the lookout for signs of depression in their children. If you were feeling sad or depressed, who would you reach out to for help? Would you reach out to your parents? Why or why not?
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Video Overview
Grey skies, short days, not much sun. Teens Chauntae and Jasmine say their mood changes in the winter.
“You know, just not in the mood to be talking to anybody and people kind of tell me I get a little bit mood swingy at times and I just might get mad about something really small,” says Jasmine, 16.
“I definitely tend to isolate myself in my bedroom more. I’m always wanting to sleep and don’t want to be bothered,” says Chauntae, 16.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, 10 to 20 percent of people have some form of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. “It can just appear out of the blue. It really is a matter of what’s going on in the brain with some of neuro-chemicals,” says Patrice Harris, M.D., psychiatrist.
Learn more about symptoms and treatment options during the long winter months.