Mental health and the new year
Dear Editor,
As we welcome 2025, many of us celebrate the promise of a fresh start with fireworks, parties, and cherished moments with family. It is also a time of reflection, a chance to look back on the 365 days that have passed — considering our achievements and making plans for the days ahead.
However, for some, the new year does not inspire joy, but dread. After enduring a year marked by pain, struggles, and sadness, many individuals find themselves unable to face another 365 days of the same. Their hope is drained, and the future appears shrouded in darkness. For too many, these feelings culminate in thoughts of ending their lives.
Research supports the urgency of this issue. A study published in The Journal of Emergency Medicine highlights that suicide attempts peak on New Year’s Day. This day, often symbolising a “fresh start”, can leave individuals grappling with depression feeling trapped by their unchanged circumstances, leading to profound disappointment.
Nadia Whitehead, in her article ‘Suicide Most Common on Two Days of the Week’, refers to findings suggesting that Mondays and New Year’s Day are particularly high-risk times. These periods, brimming with societal expectations of renewal and positivity can exacerbate the feelings of hopelessness in those struggling with mental health.
As we celebrate the new year, let us not forget those who suffer in silence. Check on your quiet friend. Offer to listen without judgment. Encourage open conversations about mental health. Reach out to that family member who didn’t make it home this holiday. Let’s move beyond stigmatising depression and mental health challenges as toxic traits to be avoided. Instead, let us extend care and compassion — not when it is too late, but now, when they need it most.
To anyone reading this who feels lost or hopeless: Your pain is real, but so is the possibility of healing. The world may seem dark now, but light can and does return, even in the darkest moments. Reach out. There are people who care about you and who want to help you find your way back to hope. You are not alone.
Let us make 2025 a year in which kindness, understanding, and meaningful connection triumph over isolation and despair.
Teddense Thomas
teddenstkt@gmail.com
