Late winter is the danger zone for SAD patients

Yes, suicide risk actually peaks in late winter for people with seasonal affective disorder, not in the darkest months.

Counterintuitive, I know. The clinical logic: when the days start getting longer, energy comes back faster than mood does. That mismatch — suddenly having the ability to act on suicidal thoughts that were there all winter — is what gets dangerous. The depression hasn’t fully lifted yet, but the psychomotor slowing has.

So what do you do? If you’re a clinician, this is when you don’t let up. Keep appointments frequent. Watch for that “turning a corner” report from a patient who sounds a little too upbeat too fast — that’s a red flag, not relief. Safety plans should be reviewed and practiced, not just written down. For patients: you need a plan that assumes the worst could hit when you feel slightly better. Tell someone. Remove means. Have a crisis number saved.

It’s the same principle as a heart patient feeling great after bypass surgery and going back to shoveling snow. The risk is highest when you think you’re out of the woods.