Bedroom wall color cause depression?

[Janeway]

My 17 yr old seems so depressed lately. I realize I moved him in to a room with dark blue walls over the summer and this depression only came on after that. It is so bad he wants to leave the school he had been in and used to love. This is the color.... https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7601-dockside-blue#/7601/?s=coordinatingColors&p=PS0  Now I am starting to wonder if the color could be affecting him. Anyone put in merit in to the idea that color could affect one's mood?

[Junie]

Yes, room color can definitely affect mood!

I would also check into things that might be different from his previous room (like lighting and allergens).

[Frances]

Is the same son whose girlfriend broke up with him and he has to see her every day in school? And who has a very heavy homework load and is applying to colleges? If so, I think those things might have lots more to do with feeling depressed than bedroom color, although I’m not totally discounting that it could be a minor contributing factor, depending on how much waking time he spends there.

Is he getting enough outdoor time, exercise, and sleep? Eating a healthy diet? Socializing with friends? If not, I’d work on those things first before changing room color. Although if it doesn’t cost much, it might be a fun project for him.

[prairiewindmomma]

That doesn't read as a dark blue to me. And we have always found dark blue (like this navy): https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/hc-154/hale-navy?color=HC-154 to actually be really comforting.  

Isn't this also the kid who broke up with a girlfriend? I'd be more likely to attribute it to that than to a wall color. 

[Scarlett]

Doesn’t seem that dark to me but if it is a concern it is an easy fix. 

I would imagine it is more  complicated than that, but what do I know.,,

[Janeway]

7 minutes ago, Junie said:

Yes, room color can definitely affect mood!

I would also check into things that might be different from his previous room (like lighting and allergens).

His previous room had a much bigger window too.

[Loowit]

While colors can have an affect on moods, it would not cause depression.  It could be worth repainting if you wanted, but I would not solve a true depression.  I would guess it is just as coincidence in timing.

[Janeway]

7 minutes ago, Frances said:

Is the same son whose girlfriend broke up with him and he has to see her every day in school? And who has a very heavy homework load and is applying to colleges? If so, I think those things might have lots more to do with feeling depressed than bedroom color, although I’m not totally discounting that it could be a minor contributing factor, depending on how much waking time he spends there.

Is he getting enough outdoor time, exercise, and sleep? Eating a healthy diet? Socializing with friends? If not, I’d work on those things first before changing room color. Although if it doesn’t cost much, it might be a fun project for him.

He had previous girlfriends before this. I thought it was just the girlfriend thing, but it is getting worse and worse. So I have been considering other factors. I always felt kind of bad about the room. And realized, his old room had light colored wood with one cherry wood shelf. And then a long tall window. And the walls were a natural color, Nomadic Desert. It was cheery. The new room, ever since it was painted, I thought the room seemed dark. I think the lighting even seems darker. 

I am going to repaint it. Maybe it will help. Maybe it won't. Worth a shot. 

[Janeway]

10 minutes ago, Frances said:

Is the same son whose girlfriend broke up with him and he has to see her every day in school? And who has a very heavy homework load and is applying to colleges? If so, I think those things might have lots more to do with feeling depressed than bedroom color, although I’m not totally discounting that it could be a minor contributing factor, depending on how much waking time he spends there.

Is he getting enough outdoor time, exercise, and sleep? Eating a healthy diet? Socializing with friends? If not, I’d work on those things first before changing room color. Although if it doesn’t cost much, it might be a fun project for him.

I think there are many things that could be causing it. Repainting and decorating might help. We will see.

[scholastica]

2 minutes ago, Janeway said:

I think there are many things that could be causing it. Repainting and decorating might help. We will see.

Professional help is much more likely to help your son than redecorating. If he really is getting worse and worse and this is his senior year of high school, please get him help yesterday. You do NOT want a depressed young man going off to college. I cannot stress this enough. Please get your ds to a professional. Redecorate if you’d like, but please take him in. Start with your regular doctor, get some names of good therapists and make an appointment tomorrow. 

[Arcadia]

Depression seems less likely due to wall color unless it’s SAD and the windows aren’t letting enough light. I can deal with dark blue but your link looks more bluish gray and that color would make me feel lethargic sluggish. I would flood the room with lights if any of my hotel rooms was that kind of color.

[itsheresomewhere]

Before spending money on repainting and redecorating, get him to the doctor.  He needs help along.  Get a physical and bloodwork to rule out any physical issues.  Once he is in a better place, let him decide on redecorating.  He may want something completely different or really love the current color.  

[Melissa in Australia]

Colour can affect people’s moods etc.

my grandmother cannot be long in a room painted a specific shade of purple. She will very quickly get a migraine and start vomiting.

however . Would think there may be other major contributing factors in your ds depression

[gardenmom5]

does he ever deal with SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder.  putting him in a darker room that sucks up light, could trigger it.

[gardenmom5]

33 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Depression seems less likely due to wall color unless it’s SAD and the windows aren’t letting enough light. I can deal with dark blue but your link looks more bluish gray and that color would make me feel lethargic sluggish. I would flood the room with lights if any of my hotel rooms was that kind of color.

agree - but it needs to be light in the right spectrum and adequate number of lumens.

 

here's info on the light box.

[LucyStoner]

Affect mood? Sure.  Cause clinical depression?  No.  Definitely not.  

[Janeway]

1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said:

does he ever deal with SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder.  putting him in a darker room that sucks up light, could trigger it.

I have had this. I cannot be where the lights are dim all the time. We had an issue for a time where my husband always wanted low watt lights and the blinds closed. It drove me nuts.  First thing I do when I wake up is open all the blinds in the house. And all my rooms that I go in to are light colored.

[Katy]

Yes, it definitely can.  We bought a house that was mostly this awful mustard gold color.  I practically shut down.  When it was finally in the budget to paint and we did my entire attitude and how active I was changed dramatically for the better.  Since then I've been acutely aware of colors when we visited houses.  Some colors make me anxious.  Others make me happy and productive, especially revere pewter (walls), white opulence (trim) and sea salt (doors).  And looking back, when it was bad I definitely think it would have classified as mild depression.

But I would be concerned with mold and allergens too.

[kbutton]

I think it can be a factor in mood and how you adjust to other things that are not ideal--like, if things are not going well, it could definitely be something that saps his well of reserves for adjusting to what life brings.

I about went crazy in a house that had wallpaper on nearly every inch of wall. Even the grates on the vents for the heat and A/C were papered over. At some point, it became suffocating to live with those walls. Looking at them when I was tired or ill also greatly increased my headache potential. 

I doubt it's a conscious thing for him, and I do think that you should look more broadly at the possibility of getting some help. Even if the color is making a really big difference, being sensitive to something like that probably means he's going to need more tools in life that help him know himself and deal with sensitivities. It's not really fun to go through life accidentally discovering just how much things bother you that don't bother other people!

 

[Tanaqui]

I think you're overthinking this one. Please just make an appointment with a shrink.

[almondbutterandjelly]

Color affects my mood.  I had sage green thick curtains in my bedroom, and one day, I remember looking at them and thinking why did I feel so bad.  I switched to white curtains and much more light came into my room, and I felt much better.  

[TheReader]

As a mom of a teen-turned-young adult with depression......the sooner you get him help, the better. 

I watched my son have symptoms of what I suspected was depression for a very long time before we sought treatment. We kept trying other things, attributing it to late nights/poor sleep, attributing it to physical illness (he had pneumonia during this time), etc. before finally we found ourselves woken up at midnight one night with him admitting he was thinking of suicide and wanted help. 

We were insanely fortunate that we had another son seeing a therapist for a completely different reason, so we were able to call her office and get an emergency appointment with another doctor at that office, and thus began a very lengthy journey (still somewhat ongoing) towards better mental health. 

I hate to think what would have happened if we hadn't already had the relationship with the therapist/office, and how long it would have taken to get an appointment somewhere as a new patient in an emergency situation. 

And I wonder every day if his journey to wellness would have been shorter, easier, more effective, involved less meds, etc. if we'd sought help when the first inkling of "depression" entered my mind, instead of trying all the other stuff first. 

Please -- don't wait. 

[PeterPan]

That shade of blue you linked, if you linked exactly the one you meant, is very light. Blue is a CALMING color. You could brighten it with some pops of green to bring back the energy. My ds' office is those colors and the effect is very healthy.

So no, that color, is not the cause of his issues. I'd have him sleep in a different room for a week and get him into an MD and counselor. He may have more going on that he's not expressing clearly, so his problem solving is ineffective.

[catz]

If this is the same kid wanting to drop out of school, with the girl friend troubles, who keeps waffling on what he wants to do after high school, please get him in to see someone.  I don't think that color is particularly dark and dreary especially if it gets sunlight but if he wants it changed, sure.  I just wouldn't hesitate on following up on mental health care.  

[OH_Homeschooler]

14 hours ago, Janeway said:

He had previous girlfriends before this. I thought it was just the girlfriend thing, but it is getting worse and worse. So I have been considering other factors. I always felt kind of bad about the room. And realized, his old room had light colored wood with one cherry wood shelf. And then a long tall window. And the walls were a natural color, Nomadic Desert. It was cheery. The new room, ever since it was painted, I thought the room seemed dark. I think the lighting even seems darker. 

I am going to repaint it. Maybe it will help. Maybe it won't. Worth a shot. 

 

The "girlfriend thing" may have triggered a chain reaction or a never-ending negative feedback loop. It doesn't matter if he had previous girlfriends and got over them without a problem. Right now he is going through something.

Sure, repaint the room but mental health is complicated and the sooner it is addressed by a professional, the better.

 

 

 

[Jaybee]

I'm not ignoring the other issues, i.e., it does sound like there is a lot more going on that should be followed up on. But I am very sensitive to color and light. Some are saying that blue is light, but though it is pretty, I think I would find a whole room of it too dark. Blue is one of my favorite colors, but for some reason, I do not care for blue rooms. We lightened up our living area considerably when we moved into this house, but I wish we had chosen even lighter. Our bedroom was quite dark, and we painted it a very light with just the slightest tinge of green (you'd never call it green if you walked into the room). Just walking into the room cheers me. So he probably needs deeper help, but repainting could be a detail that might help.

[Carol in Cal.]

I personally find it very saddening, even somewhat depressing, to be in a room with windows I cannot see out of.

So much so that when my husband wanted to take the window out of our master bedroom in favor of clerestery windows up high, so that we could fit in a much needed bigger bed, I absolutely nixed it.  I told him that I would feel depressed every time I walked into that room.  It's from how I felt as a kid when I was too little to see over people's heads or out of windows.  

I agree with others who say to get him help, but I wonder whether moving him back into his old room would be something to do in the meantime, possibly helpful.  Or at least get him one of those SAD lamps.

[klmama]

If he only felt down while in the room, sure, the color could be affecting him.  But it sounds like he feels down all the time.  I'd try to find him professional help ASAP.