UTSW expert: Resilience strategies can help avert holiday blues

Newswise — DALLAS – Dec. 18, 2023 – While the holiday season can bring joy to people of all ages, it also leaves many feeling depressed and lonely. Those who already suffer from a mental health condition can develop more serious symptoms. According to a survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 64% of people who have mental illness say their symptoms become worse when the winter holidays arrive.

To avoid the “holiday blues,” a psychiatrist at UT Southwestern Medical Center recommends building resilience against factors that can lead to depression and consulting with your primary care provider if isolation brings on despondent feelings during the holidays.

“Helpful strategies include adding more exercise to the daily routine, ensuring that sleep hygiene is not disrupted, refraining from excessive alcohol intake, and avoiding extreme or problematic use of social media,” said Manish Jha, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, a member of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, and an O’Donnell Clinical Neuroscience Scholar.

According to NAMI, the holiday blues are temporary symptoms of anxiety or depression that can be linked to the added stress of the holidays, unrealistic expectations, sentimental memories, and feelings of loss. They can cause sadness, distress, fatigue, tension, frustration, and loneliness.

NAMI suggests several ways to avoid the holiday blues:

• Stick to normal routines as much as possible.
• Take time for yourself, but don’t isolate. Spend time with supportive, caring people.
• Make a to-do list. Keep things simple.
• Listen to music or find other ways to relax.
• Set reasonable goals for activities such as shopping, cooking, entertaining, attending parties, or sending cards.
• Make a budget for activities. Don’t overextend financially on gift-giving.

Dr. Jha said reduced daylight contributes to seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that is usually worse during the winter. He also said an inability to be with family can produce symptoms of depression, and holiday changes in eating habits can affect mood and lead to weight gain.

While the holidays may cause some symptoms of depression, Dr. Jha said it’s important to get a clinical evaluation to ensure that signs of major depressive disorder (MDD) are not overlooked. Although the holiday blues generally don’t linger, they should be taken seriously because they can lead to long-term mental health conditions. He added that MDD affects an estimated 1 in 5 adults in the United States and often goes undiagnosed, so screening for depression is crucial.

“The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for depression in adults,” Dr. Jha said. “Providers can use easy-to-administer measures to screen for symptom severity that may indicate the presence of a depressive disorder.”

About UT Southwestern Medical Center  

UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty members have received six Nobel Prizes and include 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 21 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 3,100 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 120,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5 million outpatient visits a year.

Resources

• Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas (24/7 Crisis Line): 214-828-1000
• NAMI North Texas:214-341-7133
• Metrocare Services: 24/7 hotline 214-743-1215
• Mental Health America of Greater Dallas: 214-871-2420
• 988 Lifeline Chat and Text: Use the website chat box or send any text message to 988 to start a conversation.