As the winter solstice approaches, so increases the chances residents might feel the onset of the winter blues. For many Alaska and Peninsula residents, feelings of hopelessness and despair give way to depression as the days get shorter, the air gets colder and winter drags on. Often, those feelings could be part of Seasonal Affective Disorder, said Dr. Kristie Sellers, director of Behavioral Health Services for Central Peninsula Hospital.

...people come when they're ready, and for some people it took three years,'' said Dr. Thomas Demaria, director of behavioral health services at South Nassau Communities Hospital, which opened the center within days of Sept. 11. ''We thought...