Seasonal Depression in Dentistry: What Leaders Need to See Before the Holidays

Every fall, the days get shorter and the pace of dentistry speeds up. On the surface, the season is framed by holiday cheer and year-end growth targets. However, many dental professionals are struggling with a quieter reality: seasonal depression.

The American Psychiatric Association (2023) reports that about 5 percent of U.S. adults experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), with symptoms that can last up to 40 percent of the year. Countless more experience subclinical seasonal mood shifts: fatigue, irritability, and loss of motivation that still disrupt performance. Rosenthal and colleagues (1984) showed decades ago that reduced daylight disrupts circadian rhythms and serotonin regulation, leading to fatigue, low mood, and cognitive impairment. For dental professionals, these biological changes collide with end-of-year pressures: tighter production schedules, financial reconciliation, and the emotional weight of holidays that may amplify grief or isolation.

Why This Matters for Leaders

Seasonal depression is not a private issue. It is an occupational risk. Bakker and Demerouti (2007) emphasized through the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model that when job demands rise and resources fall, burnout and depression are the predictable outcomes. Dentistry illustrates this perfectly in December: demands increase such as patients rushing to use benefits, compressed deadlines, performance reviews; all while resources decline such as natural light, downtime, and financial margin.

This imbalance does not correct itself. Leaders must intentionally design safeguards. When they do not, they risk higher absenteeism, errors, turnover, and ultimately, compromised patient care. Hayes, Cockrell, and Smith (2013) found that musculoskeletal strain among dentists was strongly associated with psychological distress; seasonal depression only magnifies this vulnerability.

The Cost of Silence

Even when symptoms appear, professionals rarely speak openly. Edmondson (2019) has shown that without psychological safety, people conceal both mistakes and personal struggles. Clark (2020) describes the four stages of psychological safety: inclusion, learner, contributor, and challenger safety. In too many practices, inclusion safety is missing. If a hygienist feels unsafe even admitting fatigue, there is little chance they will disclose depressive symptoms. Silence, particularly in high-stakes healthcare settings, is costly.

The World Health Organization (2019) now classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon. That framing matters: it reminds leaders that seasonal depression is not a weakness to “tough out.” It is a systemic issue that demands systemic solutions.

What Leaders Can Do

Evidence points to practical steps:

• Acknowledge the season: Call it by name. Naming seasonal depression reduces stigma and signals safety.
• Adjust workloads: Where possible, spread deadlines across January. Protect holiday time off by reducing non-essential meetings.
• Increase access to light: Natural light exposure, flexible schedules that maximize daylight, and even light therapy lamps can help regulate circadian rhythms.
• Embed wellbeing check-ins: Weekly 1:1s should include a structured question: “How sustainable does this week feel, and what would make next week better?”
• Make resources visible: Promote Employee Assistance Programs, local counseling services, and telehealth options. Normalize their use by mentioning them in team communications.
• Model behavior: Leaders who take breaks, leave on time, and talk about their own seasonal energy management create cultural permission for others to do the same.

Moving Beyond “Holiday Fatigue”

Too often, leaders dismiss signs of seasonal depression as simple end-of-year fatigue. That mislabeling allows problems to deepen until they become crises. Seasonal depression is predictable. It intersects with biology, psychology, and organizational design. Leaders who ignore it risk not only the health of their people but also the health of their business.

Dentistry prides itself on precision and excellence. That excellence must extend to how we safeguard our people. Seasonal depression will not disappear with a motivational speech or a holiday bonus. It requires structural adjustments, cultural openness, and leaders who are willing to see beyond productivity to the rhythms that sustain long-term performance.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2023). Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). APA.
• Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The Job Demands–Resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115
• Clark, T. R. (2020). The 4 stages of psychological safety: Defining the path to inclusion and innovation. Berrett-Koehler.
• Edmondson, A. C. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley.
• Hayes, M., Cockrell, D., & Smith, D. R. (2013). A systematic review of musculoskeletal disorders among dental professionals. International Journal of Dental Hygiene, 7(3), 159–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-5037.2009.00395.x
• Rosenthal, N. E., Sack, D. A., Gillin, J. C., Lewy, A. J., Goodwin, F. K., Davenport, Y., ... & Wehr, T. A. (1984). Seasonal affective disorder: A description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41(1), 72–80. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790120076010
• World Health Organization. (2019). Burn-out an occupational phenomenon: International Classification of Diseases. WHO.