Fayetteville webinar urges awareness of seasonal depression, shares local data and resources

Councilwoman Dr. Nia Glover opened a virtual Fayetteville Mental Health Advisory Board webinar and said the session would focus on prevention and community supports for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The talk, billed as the advisory board’s final webinar for 2025, reviewed local symptom tracking, risk groups, treatment options and resources on the city’s mental-health hub.

"This conversation tonight is about prevention, not just treatment," Councilwoman Dr. Nia Glover said, framing the webinar around early identification and referral to services. She said the board has been collecting brief surveys at outreach events and that the resulting data show seasonal increases in anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Presenters reported that their on-site survey results rose from about 3% in August to about 11% in December; the presenters did not provide a sample size or methodological details during the lecture. The board cautioned that such figures are descriptive of their local outreach samples and that early screening and referral were the priority outcomes.

The webinar explained common drivers of winter-related mental-health problems—reduced sunlight, disrupted sleep patterns, increased isolation and lower activity levels—and listed typical symptoms including low mood, oversleeping, fatigue and social withdrawal. The presenters recommended brief self-assessments; Dr. Glover specifically referred listeners to the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 tools available through the city’s mental-health hub.

Treatment recommendations emphasized evidence-based options: light therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, medication when clinically appropriate, and individualized plans with culturally responsive care. The presenters also identified vitamin D supplementation as a complementary, holistic measure to discuss with a clinician.

Co-presenter identified in the transcript as "Miss Ritz" described practical self-care steps: "Establishing a consistent sleep routine... moving your body daily even indoors helped tremendously," she said, urging small, consistent changes—bright indoor lighting or commercially available light boxes, daily movement, mindfulness and gratitude practices—as accessible strategies for residents.

Speakers urged community-level responses as well: public-awareness campaigns, expanded access to therapy, support groups, wellness workshops and outdoor events (even in colder months) to reduce isolation. Dr. Glover invited residents to the advisory board’s monthly meeting (first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m.) and encouraged users to consult the Fayetteville mental-health hub for centralized resources and recorded webinars.

The presenters read local contact numbers and hotlines included on the hub during the session: a local clinic number cited as 770-719-4620, Georgia Crisis & Access Line 1-800-715-4225, NAMI Georgia 1-800-950-6264, and the national 988 suicide and crisis line. Dr. Glover also asked attendees to report gaps they see on the hub so the board can improve resources.

The webinar concluded with a short Q&A pause and closing thanks; presenters reminded viewers that the series will continue into 2026 and encouraged following the Fayetteville City Facebook page or city website for updates. The board did not take formal actions or votes during the webinar.

(Reporting note: the transcript used multiple inconsistent spellings for the city and co-presenter names; this article uses Fayetteville City for local references and presents speaker names as they appear in the recording.)