Donate
Find Help Now

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

How can other people help? 

This section is for family or friends who want to support someone with SAD. 

If you are supporting a friend or relative who is experiencing SAD it can be hard to know what you can do to help. This section has some suggestions of things you could try while also looking after your own wellbeing. 

Let them know you are there 

Lots of people can find it hard to open up about how they’re feeling. One of the most important things you can do is let the person you’re worried about know that you care and that it’s ok to talk about what they’re experiencing. 

Support them to seek help 

Supporting your friend or loved one to seek help can be really important. It can help to remind them that SAD is a recognised condition like many others, and that they deserve help and support. 

You can read our information on treatment and self-care, and encourage them to seek help from their doctor or GP. See our pages on how to support someone else to seek help for more information. 

“I can see my family members with winter depression SAD shutting down through autumn, until in winter they are prone to afternoon naps, shutting themselves away alone in a room, and a lack of interest in anything.” 

Don’t be critical 

If you’ve not experienced SAD yourself, it can be hard to understand why your friend or family member can’t just ‘snap out of it’. Try not to blame them or put pressure on them to get better straight away – they are probably being very critical and harsh towards themselves already. 

Think about what you say 

It’s common to describe certain types of weather as being good or bad, for example talking about ‘good weather’ or describing rainy days as ‘dreary’ or ‘miserable’. This could make someone with SAD feel criticised or alone, so it might really help if you consider how you talk about different types of weather. 

“Their self-esteem is very low in the winter months, particularly November and December as the days get shorter.” 

Ask them what helps 

SAD can affect people in different ways, so it’s important to ask what things they would find most helpful, and what has or hasn’t helped them in the past. They may just want your emotional support or there may be specific practical things you could do that could help them cope. 

Everyone will need different support, and the form this takes can change over time, so talk to your friend or family member about what help they might find useful and what they feel able to do themselves. 

“I try and recruit my partner in making the main meal a couple of times a week and freeze leftovers to reduce pressure.” 

Help them to plan ahead 

If you have some idea when their symptoms are likely to start, you may want to plan things in advance that might help. For example, you could schedule time to offer practical help, plan activities to help them relax or just make sure people will be around to offer support. 

It may also help to avoid planning any activities during that time that they might find particularly difficult, and to talk together about what demands they can cope with – for example, you might decide to avoid having guests during difficult times. 

“I try to encourage my winter suffering family members to think ahead and get helpful things organised for during their difficult time (counselling, light boxes, planned events to look forward to etc) before winter starts, while they still have the energy and ability to do so.” 

Stay in touch 

SAD can cause people to feel very isolated, for example if they don’t feel up to joining in with social activities or they struggle to find things they can do during difficult times. 

It could help to suggest things they might find easier to do – for example, in the case of someone who feels worse in hot sunshine, doing indoor activities like watching a film together. 

“I try to encourage them to get out of the house during daylight hours. They can forget that anything like that can be helpful.”

Look after yourself 

It can sometimes be really challenging to support someone, and it’s common to feel overwhelmed at times. It’s important to look after your own mental health too. For example: 

  • Set boundaries and don’t take too much on. It is important to decide what your limits are and how much you are able to help them. If you become unwell yourself you won’t be able to offer as much support. See our pages on how to manage stress for more information. 
  • Share your caring role with others, if you can. It’s often easier to support someone if you’re not doing it alone. 
  • Talk to others about how you’re feeling. You may want to be careful about how much information you share about the person you’re supporting, but talking about your own feelings with someone you trust can help you feel supported too. 
  • Find support for yourself. The organisations in useful contacts are there to support you too. It could also help to explore peer support and talking treatments. 

For more suggestions, see our pages on how to cope when supporting someone else, managing stress and improving and maintaining your wellbeing. 

“I found that as the day went on I would literally want to get into bed… it was an absolute struggle to stay up and be sociable just with my family and often I lost the battle.”

Instagram Facebook-f Linkedin
What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 16 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

For Friends and Family

How can other people help? 

This section is for family or friends who want to support someone with SAD. 

If you are supporting a friend or relative who is experiencing SAD it can be hard to know what you can do to help. This section has some suggestions of things you could try while also looking after your own wellbeing. 

Let them know you are there 

Lots of people can find it hard to open up about how they're feeling. One of the most important things you can do is let the person you're worried about know that you care and that it's ok to talk about what they're experiencing. 

Support them to seek help 

Supporting your friend or loved one to seek help can be really important. It can help to remind them that SAD is a recognised condition like many others, and that they deserve help and support. 

You can read our information on treatment and self-care, and encourage them to seek help from their doctor or GP. See our pages on how to support someone else to seek help for more information. 

“I can see my family members with winter depression SAD shutting down through autumn, until in winter they are prone to afternoon naps, shutting themselves away alone in a room, and a lack of interest in anything.” 

Don't be critical 

If you've not experienced SAD yourself, it can be hard to understand why your friend or family member can't just 'snap out of it'. Try not to blame them or put pressure on them to get better straight away – they are probably being very critical and harsh towards themselves already. 

Think about what you say 

It's common to describe certain types of weather as being good or bad, for example talking about 'good weather' or describing rainy days as 'dreary' or 'miserable'. This could make someone with SAD feel criticised or alone, so it might really help if you consider how you talk about different types of weather. 

“Their self-esteem is very low in the winter months, particularly November and December as the days get shorter.” 

Ask them what helps 

SAD can affect people in different ways, so it's important to ask what things they would find most helpful, and what has or hasn't helped them in the past. They may just want your emotional support or there may be specific practical things you could do that could help them cope. 

Everyone will need different support, and the form this takes can change over time, so talk to your friend or family member about what help they might find useful and what they feel able to do themselves. 

“I try and recruit my partner in making the main meal a couple of times a week and freeze leftovers to reduce pressure.” 

Help them to plan ahead 

If you have some idea when their symptoms are likely to start, you may want to plan things in advance that might help. For example, you could schedule time to offer practical help, plan activities to help them relax or just make sure people will be around to offer support. 

It may also help to avoid planning any activities during that time that they might find particularly difficult, and to talk together about what demands they can cope with – for example, you might decide to avoid having guests during difficult times. 

“I try to encourage my winter suffering family members to think ahead and get helpful things organised for during their difficult time (counselling, light boxes, planned events to look forward to etc) before winter starts, while they still have the energy and ability to do so.” 

Stay in touch 

SAD can cause people to feel very isolated, for example if they don't feel up to joining in with social activities or they struggle to find things they can do during difficult times. 

It could help to suggest things they might find easier to do – for example, in the case of someone who feels worse in hot sunshine, doing indoor activities like watching a film together. 

“I try to encourage them to get out of the house during daylight hours. They can forget that anything like that can be helpful.”

Look after yourself 

It can sometimes be really challenging to support someone, and it's common to feel overwhelmed at times. It's important to look after your own mental health too. For example: 

  • Set boundaries and don't take too much on. It is important to decide what your limits are and how much you are able to help them. If you become unwell yourself you won't be able to offer as much support. See our pages on how to manage stress for more information. 
  • Share your caring role with others, if you can. It's often easier to support someone if you're not doing it alone. 
  • Talk to others about how you’re feeling. You may want to be careful about how much information you share about the person you’re supporting, but talking about your own feelings with someone you trust can help you feel supported too. 
  • Find support for yourself. The organisations in useful contacts are there to support you too. It could also help to explore peer support and talking treatments. 

For more suggestions, see our pages on how to cope when supporting someone else, managing stress and improving and maintaining your wellbeing. 

“I found that as the day went on I would literally want to get into bed... it was an absolute struggle to stay up and be sociable just with my family and often I lost the battle.”