Feeling down in the sun? Summer depression is rare but can be as debilitating as winter SAD

Over one billion people struggle with mental health worldwide, a burden that is increasing, mainly driven by anxiety and depression.

One less known type of depression is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a distinct form of depressive disorder characterised by a seasonal pattern, and, like any other form of depression, is a serious medical condition.

Seasonal depression is more common during winter, linked to the darker, colder days and a lack of social interaction. However, although only a few experience summer depression, it can be as debilitating as the more widely recognised winter one.

A recent study found that summer SAD is an atypical subtype that affects 0.57% of the global population, compared with winter SAD, which affects 5%.

The condition can be triggered by heatwaves and tropical nights, with symptoms ranging from milder “summer blues” to incapacitating depressive symptoms, such as insomnia, appetite loss, agitation and anxiety.

Things like sticking to a routine, avoiding extreme heat and prioritising sleep can help ease the discomfort, but in severe cases, it is recommended to seek medical attention, according to Adam Borland, clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

Growing mental health conditions

Worldwide, the number of people living with a mental health condition has nearly doubled over the past 30 years, mainly driven by increases in anxiety and depression.

A recent analysis from the new Global Burden of Disease Study, published in The Lancet, found that around 1.2 billion people, around 15% of the world’s population, were living with a mental health condition in 2023.

These figures represent a 95% increase in cases between 1990 and 2023. Over the same period, mental disorders climbed in the ranking of leading causes of health loss worldwide, from 12th to 5th place.

For major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders, the increases are even more pronounced, at 131% and 158% respectively – making them the two most common conditions.

“Responding to the mental health needs of our global population, especially those most vulnerable, is an obligation, not a choice,” the authors of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 wrote.

It is estimated that one in six people, about 140 million, live with a mental health condition in the European Region. According to the World Health Organization, only one in three people living with depression in the region received the care they needed.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, depression and anxiety among young people have surged by an estimated 25%, and among 15- to 29-year-olds, suicide is now the leading cause of death in the region.