The Myth of “Blue Monday”

Since around 2005, people have been talking about “Blue Monday.”   This day has been said to be the most depressing day of the year.  Everything we have heard about “Blue Monday” indicates it typically falls on the third Monday in January, which this year is the 15^th.  Supposedly, it’s the day of the year that people feel most depressed. This goes along with another belief that most suicides take place on this day.  This is a myth, and we need to know that there is not one single day where suicides happen most often. 

So, if not on Blue Monday, when do most suicides occur? After having so many misconceptions about suicides happening in the cold and dreary winter months, research indicates that the suicide rate peaks in spring and summer. Please note that this peak is very slight.  Usually, reports of suicide are steady throughout the whole year. 

It is easy to see why the myth of “Blue Monday” exists because it’s after the holiday season and many people are experiencing more debt than usual or they missing the family and friends they were around over the holidays. There are so many reasons that someone could feel down and out during the early days of January. However, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) could be another explanation. 

Psychiatrist Dr. Robert Olson of Fargo, North Dakota's Sanford Medical Center explains SAD by saying, "It would be a kind of a depression that's particularly connected to the changes in the seasons.”  While there is no definitive answer as to what causes Seasonal Affective Disorder, Dr. Olson has a theory.  "We are animals," he explains. "The birds fly south. The bears hibernate. Those are driven by the day light in the same way we are affected by day light."  He speculates that the symptoms that people experience for Seasonal Affective Disorder are very similar to those of depression.

Despite the frequency of SAD around this time of year, and the possibility of other risk factors mentioned, the suicide rate does not surge in January, and most cases of depression do not noticeably happen on the third Monday of the month. 

So where did this myth of Blue Monday come from? Well, it is believed that Blue Monday originated as a public relations stunt by a travel agency looking to boost travel and vacation sales in January. Therefore it has no scientific merit whatsoever. As for the date, the third Monday of January, this was falsely created, nonscientific-based comparison that supposedly looked at numerous mood swings by a general population. 

So, overall, there is no “Blue Monday”, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people feeling depressed, feeling alone, or missing the hustle and bustle of the holidays in January.  It just means that we should not just focus our attention on preventing suicide in January, or one day of the year.  Understand what is involved and how you can help someone who is in need or might be talking about suicide.

If someone you know is talking about killing themselves, feeling hopeless, having no reason to live, or that they are a burden.  If they are behaving in unusual ways that include increased use of alcohol or drugs, looking for and sometimes even searching online for ways to end their life, withdrawing from activities or events they have normally been very involved with, isolating themselves from family and friends, or sleeping too much or too little, this could be a sign for concern.  If they experience mood changes and are depressed, suffer from anxiety, have no interest in everyday happenings, and are irritable or often agitated, these can all be signs. How can we help?  Saying a few kind words every day, even to strangers, can make a difference in someone’s life.   The world can be tough, and people can be mean, we never know what others are going through.  So let them know you are someone they can talk to and count on to be there for them.  Help them see that their life is worth living.  Then get them the professional help they need.  If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

Written by: Heather S., Prevention Education Specialist