Summer is supposed to be the best season of the year—two months of freedom, fun, and relaxation. But for some teens, the extended vacation brings on what’s known as summer depression.
This “summer sadness” often begins in early August, as teens feel the summer slipping away. Along with back-to-school anxiety, they may also be feeling disappointment if their summer vacation didn’t live up to their expectations.
There are a number of other reasons why an adolescent might be depressed in summer. Here are some of the most common underlying causes of teen “summertime sadness,” along with evidence-based approaches for supporting adolescent well-being.
Lack of Structure and Socializing Can Lead to Teen Summer Depression
Maintaining a regular schedule is proven to support mental health. Even though teens get tired of sticking to a daily routine during the school year, it helps them to maintain a sense of purpose and direction. And it also helps them stay focused and busy. During summer vacation, routines typically fall by the wayside. That’s okay for a little while: Teens need the space and time to recover after the intense school year, and to choose what they want to do or not do. However, as the weeks go by, an open-ended schedule can leave teens feeling aimless and unoccupied.
Lack of structure in summer can also interfere with self-care, particularly when it comes to sleep. Teens are more likely to be up late and then stay in bed all day, either scrolling on their phones or trying to catch up on lost sleep. And sleep deprivation is detrimental to mental health, which can lead to teen summer depression. The same goes for physical activity, which is also linked to mood. Teens who spend their summer playing video games or watching TV may suffer physically and psychologically from the lack of exercise.
Moreover, school, sports, and other afterschool activities provide built-in opportunities for social interaction. During the summer, it sometimes takes more effort for teens to get together with friends. That’s particularly true for younger adolescents who don’t drive yet. Extroverted teens miss their daily connections with peers. Introverted teens usually appreciate more time on their own, but without the structure of school, they may have too much alone time.
What Teens and Parents Can Do: The middle of summer isn’t too late to set up a routine to combat teen summer depression. A summer job, volunteering at the local humane society or food bank, walking a neighbor’s dog, or a standing weekly lunch date with a friend or mentor can all be part of a teen’s summer schedule.
How FOMO Contributes to Summertime Depression
Why am I sad during the summer? That’s a question that teens may ask themselves—without realizing that a big part of it is the device they’re holding in their hand. Summertime sadness can be one of the many negative effects of social media on teens. The apps show them snaps of their friends and peers seemingly having a great time all summer, at parties or on the beach. Meanwhile, they’re sitting at home alone.
Feelings of isolation, rejection, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) can be extremely distressing for teens. That’s always been true, but now it’s harder to avoid: Social media is a constant reminder of all the fun they’re not having. Even though their peers may be feeling the same way (despite what it looks like on their feeds), it’s hard for teens to take a step back and recognize that.
What Teens and Parents Can Do: Take a break from social media. Plan technology-free day trips or weekend vacations for the whole family. Or encourage teens to unplug for a specified amount of time each day. They can use those hours to take a hike or bike ride, do something creative, or connect with friends. A new study suggests that just one week off social media can improve our overall well-being levels and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Can You Get Seasonal Depression in Summer?
Is summer seasonal depression a thing? Yes, although it’s less common than having seasonal depression in winter. There is a version of Seasonal Affective Disorder (known as SAD) that comes on in the spring and summer and lasts until fall. While SAD in winter is typically linked with decreased light during the day, researchers believe seasonal depression in the summer stems from a problem adapting to one’s physical environment.
Seasonal summer depression symptoms are slightly different from winter SAD symptoms and from major depression symptoms. They may include the following:
- Feelings of sadness and depression
- Insomnia
- Weight loss
- Poor appetite
- Agitation or anxiety
- Episodes of violent behavior.
A mental health professional may diagnose summer seasonal depression if a teen has summer depression symptoms for at least two years in a row, and if their depressive episodes are more frequent in summer than at other times of the year.
What Teens and Parents Can Do: Reach out to a pediatrician or local therapist to help determine whether a teen is struggling with summer seasonal depression. Because Seasonal Affective Disorder has a number of clear criteria, a professional assessment is essential.
Seasonal Anxiety in Summer
In addition to seasonal depression in the summer, teens may struggle with summer anxiety. This type of teen anxiety might come from the desire to fit in as many experiences as possible before summer’s end. Or it might be catalyzed by nervous anticipation of the school year to come. While the first day of school feels ages away in late June, it starts to loom much larger as August rolls around.
Anxiety in school is common among adolescents. But if teens are feeling overwhelmed and panicky, or experiencing irrational fears, they may be struggling with an anxiety disorder. If that is the case, they will need additional support and anxiety treatment.
What Teens and Parents Can Do: Parents can validate teens’ feelings and help them develop a resilience toolkit for dealing with back-to-school anxiety. It’s also important to learn the signs and symptoms of anxiety in order to identify when a teen needs support from a mental health professional.
Treatment for Summer Depression
In some cases, a teen’s summertime sadness passes quickly once they are reengaged with school, extracurriculars, and peer interactions. However, if an adolescent’s summer depression does not resolve within a week or two, the next step is a depression screening with a mental health professional. An experienced clinician can distinguish between fleeting summer sadness and a more serious mental health issue.
At Newport Academy, we view depression and anxiety as manifestations of underlying trauma and attachment wounds. Our clinical model focuses on connection with self and others as the antidote to isolation, sadness, and low self-esteem. Through a wide variety of clinical, experiential, and academic modalities, we’re able to reach every teen where they are, and guide them toward sustainable healing. In addition, the family is involved every step of the way.
Summer is often the ideal time for a teen to enter treatment for depression, so they can return to school in the fall with new skills and a stronger sense of self. We help teens build a toolkit of healthy approaches for coping with stress, creating authentic relationships, and engaging with academics. Contact us today to find out about locations around the country and our approach to treatment for teen summer depression.
Sources:
Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2022 May; 25(5): 287–293.
Int J Psychiatry Med. 2011; 41(1): 15–28.
