Why the debunked concept of Blue Monday still resonates, 20 years later

A person walks along the Lachine Canal in Montreal on Dec. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes.

TORONTO — Blue Monday’s designation as the saddest day of the year was debunked soon after it was created about 20 years ago, yet it continues to resonate culturally.

Experts say it’s a testament to how the travel company that made up the annual date tapped into a relatable feeling – the third week of January can be a low time of year – but they also warn those who are struggling to be aware of companies taking advantage of that vulnerability.

The reason Blue Monday still exists is complicated. Some psychologists have embraced the date as part of a public conversation about mental health and reducing stigma.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) posts an annual survival guide online that acknowledges there’s no scientific basis for Blue Monday, but notes that its premise rings true, especially amid shrinking daylight hours and the arrival of holiday bills mid-January. Other major hospitals, such as the University Health Network, also post tips to combat the Blue Monday blues.

But other experts say credible organizations engaging with a non-credible subject only perpetuates the myth of its validity, which may allow corporations to take advantage while appearing altruistic and philanthropic.

“The concept of Blue Monday seems scientific and so people get kind of caught in that, but it is ultimately just a sales pitch,” said Colleen Derkatch, author of “Why Wellness Sells: Natural Health in a Pharmaceutical Culture.”

She said the fact that major health-care organizations are engaging with it only adds to its credibility regardless of their acknowledgment that the date is unfounded.

“Repeating the debunked idea — as I’m doing now — runs the risk of inadvertently reinforcing it,” Derkatch said.

In 2005, Cliff Arnall, who calls himself a “bohemian psychologist” based in the United Kingdom, created an equation for Sky Travel to determine the most depressing day of the year based on weather, debt, time since Christmas, and broken New Year’s resolutions. He settled on the third Monday in January.

Regardless of its origin as a ploy to get people to buy plane tickets, CAMH psychiatrist Dr. Michael Mak said, “It’s actually brought attention — and good attention — to seasonal depression.”

People in the northern hemisphere are susceptible to seasonal depression at this time of year due to a lack of light exposure, which can lead to trouble sleeping and maintaining concentration, poor appetite and low energy, he noted.

Leading up to Blue Monday this year, companies are pitching various supposed mood-boosting buys, including supplements, gym memberships, financial classes and travel deals to sunny destinations. A pet adoption agency even has a blog post on how animals can help you get through the rough day.

These offers can appear genuine, but Calgary clinical psychologist Jonathan N. Stea says people shouldn’t conflate consumerism with seeking mental-health support.

“It’s true the winter months can be difficult for some people with respect to depressive symptoms, but that signals a call for people to tend to their mental health via evidence-based approaches and, if needed, to reach out to bonafide mental health professionals for assistance,” said Stea, who is also an adjunct assistant professor of psychology at the University of Calgary.

Derkatch, also an English professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, pointed to a supplement company selling vitamins in advance of Blue Monday that it says will improve consumers’ moods.

But Derkatch noted her research, which seeks to understand mainstream and non-dominant models of health care, shows taking a supplement can be empowering for people who feel frustrated with the system, exhausted from the stresses of daily life, and don’t have time to exercise or eat healthy food.

“It makes them feel like they’re able to do something to support their health,” she said, adding that people should be cautious about what they ingest, and there should be solid evidence backing up their reasoning for it.

Overall, she said she’s wary about perpetuating the concept that Blue Monday is harmful.

“I don’t know that there’s a major risk,” she said.

However, Derkatch said the caveat she would make is, “If you hear, ‘Oh, this is the day that people have the hardest time’ if you’re already experiencing a mental health crisis or are prone to low mood, then knowing that this is the day that people really feel the worst maybe could exacerbate.”

Andrea Benoit, a professor of media and communications at Western University, said she’s concerned that consumers are being primed to be sad on this dedicated day of the year, which in some cases might not have naturally been the case.

“This was a notion that was planted in the consumer,” Benoit said. “You’re creating a market desire to fix it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2025.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press