skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, January 20, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Animal welfare advocates work to save CA's Prop 12 under Trump; Health care advocate says future of Medicaid critical for rural Alaskans; Trump pardons roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack; MA company ends production of genetically modified Atlantic salmon.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Donald Trump's second term as President begins. Organizations prepare legal challenges to mass deportations and other Trump executive orders, and students study how best to bridge the political divide.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

"We can't eat gold," warn opponents of a proposed Alaskan gold mine who say salmon will be decimated. Ahead of what could be mass deportations, immigrants get training about their rights. And a national coalition grants money to keep local news afloat.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Much More Than Holiday Blues

play audio
Play

Monday, December 16, 2019   

CHICAGO – The winter solstice is nearly upon us, and for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans, the shorter days and falling temperatures can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD.

As a clinical psychologist who treats SAD, Sally Weinstein from the University of Illinois at Chicago explains the symptoms can be distressing, and include a lack of interest in daily activities, feeling moody, sad or anxious, fatigue, overeating and weight gain.

She notes that while the onset of the holiday season coincides with the onset of SAD symptoms, it's not the cause.

"There's a myth the holidays are associated with the highest rate of suicide or attempted suicide,” she says. “In reality, completed suicide rates are lowest during the holiday period because although there's a lot of stress, there's also a lot of protective factors like being around family, being around loved others."

To be diagnosed with SAD, a person must meet the full criteria for depression for two consecutive years.

Weinstein recommends anyone who suspects he or she might be affected to consult a primary care doctor, and discuss treatment options, which can include the use of light therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy.

Weinstein says following what she calls the four tenets of wellness can reduce symptoms of SAD and are beneficial for everyone during the winter months.

"Making sure you have a consistent daily routine, that you're getting exercise, that you're following a moderate and balanced diet and that you continue to be around social support,” she explains. “Those are the four things that always help with our wellness, and are even more important during these winter months."

Weinstein adds that without treatment, SAD can become overwhelming and interfere with one's daily functioning, causing feelings of hopelessness or despair.

"Know what the symptoms and the signs are and know that this is certainly something that is treatable and that there is hope,” she urges. “Even if it's sub-threshold and you're just experiencing some of these mood and energy changes with the winter months, there is a lot that you can do to help with that."

Seasonal Affective Disorder affects roughly 5% of all adults in the country, and women are diagnosed four times more often than men. People with a family history of depression are at increased risk.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Ohio State University will host events honoring Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. all week, concluding with the Legacy Awards Reception on Jan. 28. (forestgraphic/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Today, Ohioans come together to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with events across the state celebrating his contributions to …


Social Issues

play sound

California supporters of the Palestinian cause say they are cautiously optimistic - now that the ceasefire in Gaza has taken hold and the hostage rele…

Environment

play sound

Faith-based climate activists with the nonprofit GreenFaith are organizing a series of vigils tied to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump…


An Economic Policy Institute report, "Child Poverty Bankrupts Dr. King's Dream for Economic Justice,"
stated food stamps alone kept more than 1.3 million children out of poverty last year. (paulaphoto/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

In his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. condemned the poverty hindering Black Americans' rights and decades later, a new …

Social Issues

play sound

A new poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris' support for Israel's war in Gaza may have cost her the 2024 presidential election. Nearly 30% of the …

A group of students from the Univerity of Pennsylvania's Political Empathy Lab visited the state capitol in Harrisburg on a "listening tour" of voters last summer. (UPenn)

Social Issues

play sound

A group of University of Pennsylvania students got up close and personal with Keystone State voters recently as they studied solutions to bridging the…

Social Issues

play sound

New York and nationwide groups are cautiously optimistic about the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal. Phase one involves a 42-day ceasefire and gradual …

Environment

play sound

Montana is a U.S. leader in the growing industry of sustainable aviation fuel. Experts in the field, and in the agricultural sector, hope to see new …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021