Overview
- The label traces to a 2005 travel promotion by psychologist Cliff Arnall using a pseudo‑formula that researchers have long rejected as unscientific.
- Psychologists warn that repeated Blue Monday messaging can create suggestibility, leading people to interpret ordinary lows as something worse.
- Reports emphasize real seasonal pressures—post‑holiday debt, cold weather and the return to routine—that can temporarily dampen mood without indicating a disorder.
- New coverage cites Mexico estimates that chronic stress costs companies over 16,000 million pesos annually, with the ILO linking psychosocial issues to losses up to 4% of global GDP and the WHO noting a four‑to‑one productivity return on mental‑health investment.
- Developmental specialists note sadness has adaptive roles in children, while clinicians caution against trivializing depression and urge professional help for persistent or severe symptoms.