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Clinicians Warn of Elevated Holiday Exhaustion, Grief and Loneliness This December

New data underscore higher risk for people with depression during year-end pressures.

Overview

  • Psychology associations across Spain, Argentina and Peru highlight anticipatory fatigue driven by invisible planning burdens, social expectations and the push to “finish the year.”
  • WHO 2025 estimates that 5.7% of adults live with depression, and an APA analysis finds seasonal pressures can intensify symptoms by more than 70% for those affected.
  • Experts emphasize that the household mental load is often unequally distributed, adding cognitive and emotional strain before celebrations begin.
  • Clinicians urge attention to warning signs such as isolation, loss of interest, mood changes and disrupted sleep or appetite, recommending timely support.
  • Economic strain heightens distress, and specialists advise scaling back costs with creative, low‑budget rituals, honoring losses with memory practices, using digital connection and leaning on community or clinical care.