EMBARGOED:Blue Monday: New wellbeing research reveals Britain's saddest cities
EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01AM GMT, MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2025
Blue Monday: New research reveals Britain's saddest cities
New data from Bigvits.co.uk shows Google searches for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) hit 15.6 million in 2024, with 23% of Brits looking online for SAD advice.
Meanwhile, a further 11.9 million of us are turning to Google for meditation and mindfulness tips.
Bristol tops the list for searches about Seasonal Affective Disorder (460,200 searches) showing residents there are keen to tackle the Winter blues. In contrast, Newcastle has some of the lowest search levels (312,600), relative to its population.
‘Self Care Sunday’ searches grew by 900% in 2024, reaching 5,000 monthly as more people embrace the trend. Experts say this is a positive step, as more of us are seeking help to stay upbeat during darker months. For the last five years, the data from the family run online wellbeing company shows that SAD searches consistently peak in November and again in January.
Source Bigvits.co.uk Google Trends (1).png
Key Findings - Bigvits.co.uk Wellbeing research
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): More than 15.6 million annual Google searches in the UK, with peaks in November and January.
Britain's saddest and happiest cities revealed; Bristol the ‘saddest’ and Greater Manchester the 'happiest' (with the least searches for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)) for its population.
Proactively Seeking Calm: Brits made 11.98 million searches for mindfulness and meditation, showing our proactive approach to mental health.
Bigvits.co.uk’s new well-being snapshot takes a closer look at search habits around the country - shedding light on which regions seem most curious (or concerned) about the Winter blues.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) searches by country
Approx. Population
Annual Seasonal Affective Disorder Related Searches
% of Population Searching
England
56.0M
11.8M
21.10%
Northern Ireland
1.9M
559,200
29.40%
Scotland
5.5M
1.25M
22.70%
Wales
3.2M
667,800
20.9%
UK (Total)
67.0M
15.6M
23.30%
Northern Ireland shows the highest proportion of SAD searches relative to its population, with 29% of residents (by population) looking for SAD information online.
England and Scotland follow, with roughly 21% and 23% respectively, whilst Wales reports a smaller proportion at about 20.9%.
“It’s obvious from our research that seasonal sadness is a key factor in many Brits’ well-being concerns,” says Dr. Shane Thurlow, PhD and Nutritional Scientist at Bigvits.co.uk.
“Quality sleep, balanced nutrition, and time in nature can help ease Blue Monday’s impact. Small, steady steps toward wellbeing bring huge rewards.”
He adds: “Despite interest in SAD, the spike in mindfulness, meditation, and ‘Self Care Sunday’ searches in our research reflect a push towards proactive mental health”.
City Searches for Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD per 1,000 (Highest to Lowest)
City
Google Yearly Search Volume
Population
Searches per 1,000 people
% of Population
1
Bristol
460,200
467,099
985
98.50%
2
York
177,600
198,051
898
89.80%
3
Edinburgh
447,600
527,620
848
84.80%
4
Brighton & Hove
226,800
277,103
818
81.80%
5
Hull
204,600
267,100
766
76.60%
6
Glasgow
477,000
635,640
750
75.00%
7
Belfast
244,200
345,418
707
70.70%
8
Birmingham
2,775,600
4,300,000
645
64.50%
9
Cardiff
237,000
372,089
637
63.70%
10
Leeds
450,000
822,483
547
54.70%
11
Sheffield
301,200
556,521
541
54.10%
12
Nottingham
171,000
323,632
528
52.80%
13
Liverpool
433,200
917,032
472
47.20%
14
London
3,355,800
8,799,800
381
38.10%
15
Newcastle
312,600
823,000
380
38.00%
16
Greater Manchester
513,000
2,900,000
177
17.70%
N.B. Google figures indicative: high numbers per population may mean the same people searching multiple times or non-residents searching in a place. These findings are based on search behaviour and do not constitute medical evidence.
For more information, images, or interviews, please contact: Rachel Clark: rachel@onlythekind.com / 07557 400 973
Notes to Editors:
Data Sources: 2024/2025 Google search volumes analysed by Bigvits.co.uk using Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends.
About Bigvits: Bigvits.co.uk is a UK-based, family-owned business passionate about health and wellbeing. Bigvits.co.uk delivers high quality, trusted vitamins and supplements to over 400,000 customers.
For a limited time, Bigvits is offering a FREE nutrition consultation to members of the media. Please book and quote 'Media' at bigvits.co.uk
About Dr Shane Thurlow PhD: Dr Shane is a Nutritional Scientist with a focus on researching and explaining the science behind nutrition, health, and wellness in the UK.
About Blue Monday: Blue Monday, commonly falling on the third Monday of January, has gained notoriety as the UK’s most depressing day. While its origins stem from a marketing campaign, the date still serves as a reminder that the post-holiday slump can affect our well-being.
For anyone seeking support with their mental wellbeing, resources like Mind, Samaritans (https://www.samaritans.org/ / 116 123), and NHS helplines offer free, confidential guidance and help.
Ends
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