The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: # Blue Monday: Let us lay this mental health myth to rest **Blue Monday is not scientifically real.** The claim that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year lacks any credible scientific foundation[1][4]. No actual scientific studies have ever backed up claims about Blue Monday, and almost all researchers and psychology experts agree that this idea is a myth[2][5]. ## The Origins of a Marketing Myth **Blue Monday was created as a marketing scheme, not a genuine mental health discovery.** In 2005, Welsh psychologist Cliff Arnall was asked by a UK travel company called Sky Travel to calculate the exact day when people felt most depressed—so the company could sell more vacations[2][3]. Arnall came up with a mathematical formula that claimed to identify this "saddest day," but the equation has been widely criticized as pseudoscience[3]. British science writer Ben Goldacre pointed out that Arnall's formula "fails even to make mathematical sense on its own terms," and neuroscientist Dean Burnett described the work as "farcical" with "nonsensical measurements"[3]. Even Arnall himself has since apologized for his formula and now calls himself an "Activist to #StopBlueMonday"[4]. ## Winter Depression Is Real, But Blue Monday Isn't **While Blue Monday itself is a myth, seasonal mental health changes are genuinely documented.** Some people do experience real mood changes during winter months—approximately two out of five people report that their mood worsens in winter[2]. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a recognized form of depression in the DSM, with up to a third of the UK population experiencing it[4]. The shorter days and cold temperatures during winter can negatively affect hormones, sleeping habits, eating habits, and mood[4][5]. ## Why We Should Stop Promoting This Myth **Mental health advocates are pushing back against Blue Monday as a commercial distraction from genuine mental health support.** Mental health organizations, including the Samaritans and Mind, have previously used Blue Monday to raise awareness, but many now recognize it as a problematic PR stunt that trivializes real mental health conditions[1][5]. Oversimplifying complex mental health experiences into a single "bad day" undermines the nuanced, evidence-based approaches needed to address depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges[4]. Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9