ROME – With the arrival of spring, many people can feel significant changes in their moods and moods, with significant differences in intensity, quality and duration between children, adolescents and adults. This is explained by the Ordinary psychoanalyst and psychiatrist of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society Adelia Lucattini, who explained how emotions, mood and behavior change in individuals with the change of season.
“For children, the arrival of spring can lead to an increase in energy and enthusiasm, but also to a greater sensitivity to external stimuli,” explains Adelia Lucattini, “Children can be particularly susceptible to seasonal changes, usually they are positive for the resumption of outdoor life but sometimes small inconveniences can also occur. Sometimes children are over-excited and have difficulty sleeping and as they are still developing, they may have difficulty managing impulses and emotions. Other times, however, they feel tired, irritable and grumpy. These manifestations may derive from the light variations typical of this season which affect the neuromodulators level due to the change in temperature and greater difficulties in sleeping. It is essential that parents pay attention to their children's emotional signals and small discomforts, to provide them with an environment of support and understanding.”
Teens, on the other hand, may experience more intense fluctuations in their moods and mood during the spring. A study by the American Academy of Family Physicians reports that 4 to 6 percent of people suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) with diagnosable depressive symptoms, while 10 to 20 percent may suffer from a milder form. Because SAD usually begins in adolescence, it is important for parents to be aware if their children's moods change when the season changes. “Multiple factors influence the occurrence of spring seasonal syndrome, both constitutional (a predisposition) and environmental. Academic, social and family pressures can accentuate the effect of seasonal changes, stress can therefore lead to anxiety, irritability or depression. In adolescents with a family history of bipolar syndromes, between the ages of 17 and 19 it can cause excitement or actual hypomanic manifestations. The loss of sleep accentuated with the arrival of spring, longer days and rising temperatures, is undoubtedly a very important risk factor”, continues the psychoanalyst, “This is why it is important to promote awareness of one's own moods, the ability to perceive some unpleasant sensations of dejection, tiredness or elation, as of a psychological and internal nature. In order to deal with any form of discomfort it is essential to trace it back to its mental origin, whether primary or reactive to external situations. Undoubtedly, coping strategies can be useful for adolescents, i.e. that psychological, emotional, rational and unconscious attitude that allows them to face and manage stressful events whether they derive from the season or from internal, intimate and personal reasons. At the same time, physical exercise, life in the open air, healthy and regular sleep and nutrition, and the maintenance of beneficial routines are recommended, especially in managing one's time and activities which must be in balance with each other”.
In adults, spring mood swings can manifest themselves in different ways “in addition to those who suffer from SAD from a young age, mood and the maintenance of well-being are influenced by a variety of factors, including managing or breaking down the work stress, the many commitments of family management, cultivating interpersonal relationships, enhancing one's personal expectations and also working through good friendships and constructive alliances. During this time, adults should take time to reflect on their emotions and seek support when necessary, both through dialogue with friends and family, and with the assistance of mental health professionals, specialists and psychoanalysts. We must consider the use of psychoanalytic help as a precious resource to deal with mood changes in spring, especially when they are very intense or prolonged”.