As a Samaritan, I know that dismantling the ‘Blue Monday’ myth will help save lives

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Unfortunately, “Blue Monday” is not the only myth around mental health, suicide and self-harm we regularly see, particularly across social media. The reason why we’re especially keen to ditch the Blue Monday myth this year – hopefully once and for all – is that help-seeking has never been more important. Perpetuating the “Blue Monday” myth is potentially dangerous because people may put off reaching for help if they think everyone else is also feeling down. Our social media channels will also gently be encouraging brands trading on “Blue Monday” messaging to step away and stop monetising this outdated falsehood.