Empty dreams: cold summer caused early autumn blues
In Russia, the demand for psychological services has almost quadrupled in just two months, analysts told Izvestia. People complain of a bad mood, apathy and anxiety, experts said. Experts cite the deterioration of the weather as the reason — rains have become more frequent in Central Russia since July. At the same time, sales of antidepressants began to grow. August turned out to be cold at all — from the middle of the month, the night temperature began to drop to 11 degrees, and the average daytime temperature was 18.5. About why the autumn blues arise and how to cope with it, see the Izvestia article.
How has the demand for psychological services changed?
By September 2025, the demand for psychologists had almost quadrupled compared to July, Avito Services told Izvestia. In addition, in July 2025, interest in antidepressants began to grow rapidly, according to the analytical company RNC Pharma. It turned out to be higher by 27.3% compared to the same period in 2024.
Usually, the demand for psychologists increases by 15%, usually only in October and November, Anastasia Chertkova, clinical director of the Alter service, psychologist, told Izvestia. But a cold summer can intensify the autumn blues, as the psyche has not received the necessary "recharge," said Anna Nikulina, head of the online psychotherapy service Yasno.
"It disrupts the usual rhythm of the seasons,— she added. — We are losing an important transition period when the psyche is gradually preparing for autumn. Instead, a sudden jump occurs, which is disorienting and increases the feeling of loss.
In the autumn-winter period, people are more likely to show signs of anxiety and depression, Anastasia Chertkova noted.
— Even if these symptoms do not reach a clinical level, many people experience "autumn fatigue" or a decrease in mood, — she said.
Indeed, due to the stagnation of the cyclone, rains and cold weather have already begun in the European part of Russia since July. Moreover, July 1, 2025, became the coldest in the last 63 years, Mikhail Leus, a leading specialist at the Phobos weather center, noted in his Telegram channel.
The average air temperature in August in Moscow, according to the Meteovesti portal, was +17.6°, which is 0.5° below the long-term norm. In the last month of summer, a nine-day period of "autumn" weather was recorded, when the average daily air temperature was below the 15-degree mark (from August 21 to August 29). In addition, precipitation in August in Moscow was 9% higher than normal — 85 mm.
Residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg turned to psychologists most often this year, said Anna Nikulina.
How has the demand for antidepressants changed
Since the beginning of 2025, almost 13 million packages of antidepressants worth more than 10 billion rubles have been sold in Russia, the RNC Pharma analytical company estimates. This is 36% more than in the same period last year.
According to analysts, Russians most often buy antidepressants in early spring, late summer and early autumn. For example, in 2023, a noticeable jump in demand for these drugs was observed in August, in 2024 — in October.
The greatest demand for anti-depression drugs in 2025 is recorded in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Moscow region — in total, these subjects account for almost 40% of the market in monetary terms. In addition, sales have almost doubled this year in the Samara and Kaliningrad regions, analysts said.
The demand for antidepressants is generally increasing from year to year. In 2022, the volume of purchases of such drugs amounted to 610 million rubles, in 2023 — 733 million rubles, and in 2024 — 743 million rubles, analysts at Headway Company estimated.
Why does "autumn fatigue" occur?
Although the medical term "autumn blues" does not exist, a decrease in energy and emotional background at this time of the year is a very real phenomenon, Anatoly Vereurgin, a psychologist at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia.
— People turn to psychologists not because they are just sad, but because they experience real symptoms: constant fatigue, sleep disorders, increased appetite, especially cravings for carbohydrates, irritability, difficulty concentrating and depressed mood, — he noted.
This condition can also be a sign of seasonal affective disorder, a special type of depression that worsens at certain times of the year and has similar symptoms. However, only a psychiatrist can make an accurate diagnosis, the expert emphasized.
In autumn, the daylight hours decrease, and the body begins to produce melatonin longer, which causes drowsiness and reduces energy levels during the day, Anastasia Chertkova explained. The level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with mood and motivation, also decreases.
— There is an imbalance: melatonin "presses" harder, increasing drowsiness and apathy, and less serotonin, and the mood drops, — she said. — An increase in work and academic workload, as well as a decrease in physical activity, can negatively affect well-being.
The psychologist added that outdoor walks, physical activity, regular sleep patterns and social activity help alleviate the symptoms of the autumn blues.
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