Spring has officially sprung in Pittsburgh, bringing a positive change in mood for many in the Pitt community.
With the temperature heating up, students are spending plenty of time outside. Warmer weather and spending time in the sun can affect moods, especially for those with seasonal affective disorder.
Sarah Kenwood, a senior environmental engineering major, is president of Outdoors Club at Pitt, a club that focuses on providing beginner-friendly trips for students wanting to camp, backpack, climb and other outdoor activities. Kenwood said the Outdoors Club promotes getting outside to all students, not just their members.
“Being able to get outside and out of the City, if you can, does wonders for people’s mental and physical health,” Kenwood said. “I’m really proud that we as a club get to foster a space where people feel comfortable to try new things and meet new like-minded people in the great outdoors.”
Kenwood said she encourages everyone to find their way outside, especially in a city like Pittsburgh. Kenwood said she recommends Schenley Park or Frick Park if students can’t travel far.
“Schenley park is right next to campus and has miles of trails, beautiful lookouts and even courts and fields up at the oval,” Kenwood said. “If you want to hop on a bus and head over to Frick Park, there is a great environmental center there as well as trails for hiking, trail running and mountain biking.”
Kenwood said if students can travel outside the city, there are multiple good spots for getting outside.
“One of my favorite places a little outside the City is Moraine State Park, [it] has a gorgeous lake with a beach that my friends and I like to go paddle boarding at,” Kenwood said.
Kenwood said the abundance of possible outside places in Pittsburgh gives people many options to choose from when starting to get outdoors.
“Getting outside can seem intimidating, [but] if you do a little research for what you’re looking for it can be as easy as grabbing a few friends and heading out to the trails,” Kenwood said.
But, students don’t even have to leave campus to get a boost from some time in the sun. Brendan Hallisey, a junior environmental science major, sits on the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall lawn on sunny days with many other students. Hallisey said he always tries to make time to go outside, especially when it’s nice out.
“I think just going outside, whenever you can, especially when it’s warm like this, it just makes you feel so much better, and it makes you look forward towards summer,” Hallisey said.
Maya Jarrett, a first-year neuroscience major, said she is going to make time to be outside during the last few weeks of the semester.
“This is the nice time where it’s not too hot and there is still a breeze, and you don’t even need a jacket,” Jarrett said. “Since it’s been cold for a long time, you tend to take it for granted, and I don’t want to let the warm weather pass me by.”
Kathryn Roecklein, an associate professor in psychology, does research on seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that occurs during the winter months and subsides during the warmer months. Roecklein said the weather can shape people’s mood based on both biological and experiential factors.
“Some people, especially those with SAD, feel more tired and down in winter and anticipate improvement with brighter, warmer days,” Roecklein said. “Others associate seasons with life patterns — for example, spring precedes summer break with reduced demands or more free time, which can also influence mood.”
Roecklein said not all people’s moods are going to be affected by the weather, but about 14% of people can feel a moderate change in their mood during warmer weather.
“At the population level, mood is not universally better in summer,” Roecklein said. “However, a meaningful subset of people do show moderate seasonal mood changes.”
Even if positive mood changes do not occur for everyone, people with mental health struggles can feel a difference from the weather. Roecklein said about 28% of individuals in Pittsburgh report mental health improvements with seasonal changes.
“[This suggests] that warmer, brighter conditions can ease symptoms for a subset of the population,” Roecklein said.
Jarrett said the actual weather doesn’t seem to change her moods very much, but she still makes time to be outside on nice days to feel a part of the community.
“I feel like the weather doesn’t make as much of a difference for me. I could be not having the best time, but it’s still 70 degrees every day,” Jarrett said. “It’s still a mood booster to see everyone being spirited.”
Roecklein said making time to be in the sun can be beneficial to most people in a similar way to caffeine.
“Light — both sunlight and artificial light — can improve mood, alertness and sleep when timed earlier in the day,” Roecklein said. “Being outside also increases opportunities for physical activity so it’s usually beneficial, with appropriate sun protection.”