Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

What is Blue Monday and why is it criticised by mental health charities?

The third Monday of January is labelled the ‘most depressing’ day of the year.

Sarah Ping
Monday 20 January 2025 09:28 EST
Blue Monday was coined to label the third Monday of January as the ‘most depressing’ day of the year (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
Blue Monday was coined to label the third Monday of January as the ‘most depressing’ day of the year (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Wire)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An annual trend claims the third Monday of January is the “most depressing” day of the year.

Known as Blue Monday, the term has become so popularised it was among the top trends on social media site X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at where the term comes from and why some mental health charities have criticised it as a myth which trivialises depression.

– What is Blue Monday?

Allegedly Blue Monday is the “most depressing” day of the year due to feelings of sadness a few weeks after Christmas, with many workers still having to wait another week until payday.

Other factors which supposedly make the day so miserable include cold, grey weather and the breaking of New Year resolutions.

January is actually a great time to make those big decisions for the year ahead

Psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall, Blue Monday's creator

– Where did the term come from?

In the words of mental health charity Mind UK, Blue Monday was coined by Welsh psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall in 2005 “to help a travel company sell summer holidays”.

Writing for Sky Travel, the psychologist developed a formula taking into account various factors including weather conditions, levels of debt, the number of days since Christmas, and the time since New Year resolutions to pinpoint the third Monday of January.

However, Dr Arnall himself has backtracked from these calculations and distanced himself from his findings.

In an interview with The Independent in 2018, he acknowledged the day has become riddled with negative connotations and said it was “never my intention”.

“Whether embarking on a new career, meeting new friends, taking up a new hobby or booking a new adventure, January is actually a great time to make those big decisions for the year ahead,” he added.

– Why has Blue Monday drawn criticism?

Several charities have sought to debunk the Blue Monday myth and criticised the term for minimising the experiences of people who live with depression and other mental health issues every day.

“(Blue Monday) oversimplifies the complex nature of mental health challenges and risks trivialising real emotions and feelings for sales,” mental health charity Samaritans posted to X on Monday.

Life can be tough enough without extra mental health stereotypes like this.”

Sonya Trivedy, Samaritans executive director of external engagement, called Blue Monday “harmful” and “a load of rubbish”.

Our volunteers are busy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so the idea that there’s a single ‘worst’ day of the year is not only a load of rubbish but is harmful as it could deter people from seeking support when they really need it

Sonya Trivedy, Samaritans

The charity’s Brew Monday campaign, devised on the same day as Blue Monday to dispel the trend, encourages people to reach out to friends, family and strangers over a cup of tea.

“Our Brew Monday campaign aims to dispel the unhelpful myth of ‘blue Monday’, because we know people can struggle any day of the year,” she said.

“Our volunteers are busy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so the idea that there’s a single ‘worst’ day of the year is not only a load of rubbish but is harmful as it could deter people from seeking support when they really need it.

“That’s why, for our ninth year, we’re reminding the public to take the time to have a brew and check in with each other every day because it could make a world of difference to someone who is struggling.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in