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A subset of people with SAD struggle with symptoms only in the summer months.

It is thought to be caused by an interaction of biological, environmental, and psychosocial factors.

Summer SAD can feel especially isolating, as there are societal pressures to be most active during summer.

There are behavioral and cognitive coping skills that can help reduce summer SAD symptoms. Therapy can help.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) impacts an estimated 5 percent of individuals in the U.S. population. Most people associate SAD with wintertime, when short, dark days and frigid temperatures take their toll on mood and mental health. Outside of a clinical diagnosis, it’s common or even culturally expected to experience at least some degree of mood or energy shift in the winter months.

However, an estimated 10 percent of individuals with SAD experience their symptoms only during the spring and summer months. Summer SAD is unique in that it runs counter to the cultural expectation of increased happiness, energy, and social activity during the warmer, brighter months.

It can be disorienting and isolating to experience symptoms of depression during a time when you anticipate feeling lighter and more joyful. Individuals with summer SAD are often left questioning what’s wrong with them for struggling so much during a time when everyone else seems to be thriving.

Despite its prevalence, summer SAD is understudied. Some people who experience summer SAD may go undiagnosed for many years.

SAD is not a standalone diagnosis. Rather, it is recognized as a subtype of major depressive disorder, characterized by changes in mood,........

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