The autumn of our discontent?
SAD, mental health supports on campus, and Togetherall
As autumn has begun to sweep across Regina, the days have started to get shorter and the weather cooler. While some enjoy the nippy breezes and colorful hues of fall, to others it marks the end of long, warm summer days as the frigid winter months approach.
People’s mental health sometimes experience the effects of this seasonal transition. As the weather changes, and early winter comes closer, many also experience what is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), describes SAD as significant changes in mood and behavior as the seasons change. Cases of SAD range from mild to serious, but in any case, SAD “can affect how a person feels, thinks, and behaves.”
NIMH states that “in most cases, SAD symptoms start in the late fall or early winter and go away during the spring and summer, known as winter-pattern SAD.” Winter-pattern SAD is more common.
SAD should not be confused or dismissed as “winter blues” or “holiday blues.” SAD is a clinical mental health condition. According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Centre, mental health conditions, such as SAD, “can affect many areas of students’ lives, reducing their quality of life, academic achievement, physical health, and satisfaction.”
There are ways to seek help and access treatment, and SAD can be managed to reduce severity. NIMH’s list of symptoms covers summer-pattern SAD, but those that are consistent with winter-pattern SAD include excessive sleeping or hypersomnia, overeating (with a particular craving for carbohydrates), and social withdrawal along with symptoms of depression.
Those experiencing symptoms of SAD can access help and treatment via Student Mental Health support services at the University of Regina (U of R).
The university also announced a new peer to peer support platform in addition to the previously available support services, called Togetherall. Togetherall is a U.K. based online mental health service that started in 2007 as the “Big White Wall” and was rebranded in 2020. In an email sent out in early July, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, John D. Smith, announced the partnership with Togetherall.
“Togetherall is a unique platform that combines peer to peer support with monitoring by licensed clinicians to ensure students have access to the in-the-moment support they need, as well as connections to additional resources, and is available to all students now,” Smith wrote.
There is a lack of awareness about the new platform amongst some students on campus, one of whom, in conversation with the Carillon revealed that they hadn’t heard of the program.
“I’ll be entirely honest with you; this is the first I’ve heard about it […] I’ve known about the therapy or counselling offered through the university, but I only know it exists […] I rarely hear much of anything about any mental health resources offered at the university,” said Tannor Magnuson, a third student majoring in English.
“I was not checking my university emails in July. I took the summer off. I had no idea about this, but it sounds like a good thing,” offered Lenitta Antony, a final year nursing student.
These two conversations with the students suggest that, although adding more resources to support student mental health is a positive step, more can be done in increasing awareness and availability of resources.