Looking at the plant, it looks like nutrient deficiency might be a problem. This could be cause by actual lack of nutrients in the soil, or by the soil having an unsuitable PH (Normally too high: basic).
I see no reason to assume there are pests in your plant. If you are concerned: Take a piece of white paper. Hold it below the branch and tap the branch a few times. Slide your hand over the paper. If you get red streaks you have mites.
The plant IS lacking light, as indicated by the stretched branches with few leaves on them.
As for the plant going dormant: Plants are living beings. Similar as them having a light and a dark phase (Day/Night), in which different chemical processes operate, they have seasonal cycles in which nutrient stores, energy etc are moved around. Temperate plants have distinct growing and resting seasons, but even in summer most plants do not grow continuously: They have spurts of above-ground growth, root growth and just "energy accumulation". Tropical species ALSO have these patterns, albeit often less obvious.
Can you keep an elm indoors? Absolutely. Also yearround. No problem. But in winter it will have to have a phase in which you place it drier, cool and allow it to go dormant. Often, a bedroom is a good place (Unless you heat your bedroom!). Do not worry too much about sunlight when you keep it cool and drier: It will not grow much, and will normally drop a few leaves. If kept outside, it needs to be outside some 6 weeks before first frost is expected, so it can naturally adapt to winter. Do not put it outside now if you are experience frosty nights. It *might* be OK, but it can get damaged too
In general, all plants are happier outside than inside, assuming the climatic conditions match their accepted ranges. Natural cycles in humidity, temperature and light are dificult to mimic indoors.
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