this is how you recognize a winter dip in your child
The days are getting shorter, it’s getting colder and even though the holidays are just around the corner: a winter dip can be lurking. And not only in adults, your child can also suffer from it.
“Winter depression also certainly occurs in children. We sometimes see it in toddlers, but especially during puberty,” says Ybe Meesters, health care psychologist and head of the Winter Depressions outpatient clinic at the UMCG in Groningen. About 3 percent of the Dutch population suffer from winter depression. About 8 percent stick to a lighter variant: the winter blues.
What causes a winter dip?
GP, Dr Beth Oller explains, “Daylight stimulates two chemicals in the brain, melatonin and serotonin. Higher amount of melatonin makes us feel sleepy. Serotonin is linked to energy and mood, and the brain makes more of it when a person is exposed to sunlight. Higher levels of serotonin lead to more feelings of happiness, lower levels can lead to depression. Shorter days and more darkness in autumn/winter can cause higher melatonin and lower serotonin, which can lead to biological disorders that make depression more likely.”
How do you recognize a winter dip in your child?
- Little or no interest in everyday things that they normally enjoy
- Avoiding social activities with other children
- Little energy to do anything
- Less busy with school or grades that are deteriorating
- Much more in the mood for sweets and unhealthy food
How do you help your child out of the winter dip?
Prevention is always better than cure, but if you notice that your child is heading towards a winter dip, go outside, because the best medicine against a winter dip is light. Even if it is gloomy and cold there, there is always more light than inside.
If you feel that the complaints persist in all severity, it is wise to visit the doctor and seek professional help.
Source: Loyalty
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