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Wisconsin ranked 13th worst state for seasonal depression

Posted at 5:47 PM, Nov 30, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-30 18:47:01-05

NBC26 GREEN BAY — According to a recent study done by QuoteWizard.com by Lending Tree, Wisconsin has the 13th most affected population by seasonal depression.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” says Lisa Tutskey, licensed marriage and family therapist at Prevea Health. “There are a lot of things that people are drawn to here but the winter season is simply not one of them.”

Due to the ever-changing weather in northeast Wisconsin, days in the winter tend to be rainy, snowy and dreary, which can contribute to the spike in seasonal depression.

Tutskey says that a huge driving factor for seasonal depression is the lack of sunlight.

“We see seasonal depression picking up right around daylight savings time, people are going to work and it's dark, they are leaving work and its dark," she says. "And when it's getting dark at 4:30-5 o'clock at night, we often feel like we don't have the time or the energy to do things.”

Alongside the lack of vitamin D comes all the stress of the holidays, which can add financial stressors as well as an added sense of loneliness.

“The holidays are great for some people but for others, it could bring back a lot of bad memories,” Tutskey says.

However, there are ways to combat Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder. Tustkey says that her biggest word of advice is to talk about it.

“Share your feelings with your friends, your families or a therapist,” she says. “The research shows that we are not the only ones who feel this way, especially those who may be in this area.”