But not everyone is a fall fanatic, which gives researchers some clues about broader attitudes towards autumn leaves and pumpkin spice. "In autumn, the subset of the individuals who become depressed in winter dread the fall holidays,"
Kathryn Roecklein, PhD, at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Psychology tells Bustle. "Whenever they see things like leaves changing color, or Halloween candy in the stores, these signs of the seasons changing are an environmental cue that winter is coming," and
seasonal affective disorder (SAD) with it. "People who are dreading the winter are not able to enjoy all these fall holidays and all the things that the broader population loves," she says.