The Village Dispatch: CMHRC's [MONTH YEAR] Newsletter
Topic: Understanding Seasonal Depression in Kids
Giving Corner: Thank you!

Wednesday Webinars:  Community Briefing: Get to Know CMHRC and How We Can Help
Clinical Seminar for Professionals: Clinical Instinct, The Art and Science of Listening to Your Gut
Book Club: He's Not Lazy, by Adam Price

As the days grow shorter and the weather turns colder, some children may start to show signs of a depressed mood. While it can be normal to experience mood fluctuations in response to these environmental changes, this can also be evidence of a mental health disorder, that’s commonly referred to as seasonal depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Most people think this condition only affects adults, but can appear in children as well, impacting their mood, energy, and overall well-being.

“With Seasonal Pattern” is a specifier that can be added to a diagnosis of major depression. It outlines a pattern of symptom onset that corresponds to the season. For most people, this typically occurs during the fall and winter months when daylight hours are shorter so exposure to the mood lifting effects of sunlight are at their lowest levels of the year, although it does impact many

people during the heat of the summer months. The lack of sunlight in the wintertime can disrupt the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythms) and affect the production of mood-regulating hormones like serotonin and melatonin. For children, this may manifest as feelings of sadness, irritability, or fatigue and lead to behaviors such as opposition, defiance, or disinterest in preferred activities. 

Parents and caregivers should be aware of the following signs of winter seasonal depression in children:

• Changes in Mood: Increased irritability, sadness, or withdrawal from social activities.

• Fatigue: A noticeable lack of energy or an increased need for sleep.

• Difficulty Concentrating: Trouble focusing on tasks, schoolwork, or extracurricular activities.

• Changes in Eating Habits: Overeating or a loss of appetite, often in connection with carbohydrate cravings.

• Loss of Interest in Activities: A noticeable drop in interest in hobbies or activities they once enjoyed.

• Encourage Outdoor Time: Even during winter, try to get your child outside during daylight hours. Sunlight, even in small doses, can help regulate their circadian rhythms. 
• Reduce Expectations: Reducing demands and expectations can protect your child’s stamina reserves so they can successfully navigate the necessary tasks of daily life, while removing unnecessary drains on their more limited energy reserves. 
• Maintain a Routine: Consistency in sleep, meals, and gentle preferred-activities helps keep your child grounded and emotionally balanced.
• Consider Light Therapy: Light therapy, which can involve blocking excess blue light from devices, using a special light box that mimics sunlight, or using a sunrise/sunset simulator lamp have been shown to help improve mood and energy levels in children with SAD.

While the winter months can be challenging for children affected by seasonal depression, the good news is that with proper care and attention, most children can manage their symptoms and find relief. Early recognition and intervention are key to supporting your child through this time of year, helping them stay healthy, happy, and emotionally resilient. Remember, you don’t have to face this difficult season alone. Check out all the ways we can help on our website.

We're so grateful to our generous Family of Donors for their support of CMHRC in 2024. Your support helped us surpass some pretty important goals.

Thanks to You:

With an average gift of $386 per donor in 2023, our community has shown an outstanding commitment to our mission to help children and families. 

As the new year starts, now is the perfect time to renew that commitment and to make your own gift last all year. 

Consider making a recurring gift today of $1 a day in 2025. Thank you for being such an important part of bringing hope to families.

As the new year dawns come to this special community briefing of everything that's new to CMHRC in 2025. 

We'll share details on the 5 new programs launched and how we're working everyday to support families and the providers and educators with whom they work. 

You'll learn how to access all of our programs and services, how to make referrals, and how to get the support you need to thrive in 2025. Register today!

Clinicians, we are a diagnostic instrument in and of ourselves. Our reactions, feelings, thoughts, and even physical response to our client is clinical data on what's going on. This month's seminar is an exploration of the ways in which our responses can provide

insight, guide our understanding of our patients' symptomatic episodes, and lead us towards more effective treatment. Join us for a discussion on how to trust yourself as a clinician and how to use your instincts to improve treatment for your clients and patients. Register today!

On the surface, capable teenage boys may look lazy. But dig a little deeper, writes child psychologist Adam Price in He’s Not Lazy, and you’ll often find conflicted boys who want to do well in middle and high school but are afraid to fail, and so do not try. This book can help you become an ally with your son, as he discovers greater self-confidence and accepts responsibility for his future.

Join us for an in depth conversation on this perspective shifting book by psychologist Adam Price. 

Book Club has a $10 fee, which supports out ability to staff these sessions and to prepare thoughtful discussion questions shared with participants. You can also consider signing up for the full year in advance and receive a discount on all sessions with the author. 

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