Why New Year’s Day Is Risky for Mental Health: And How Musicians Can Support Each Other
Holidays aren’t always happy. A systematic review of 2.1 million cases across 28 studies shows that while Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are linked to lower suicide risk, New Year’s Day spikes risk by 33% (Yeh et al., 2025, Front Public Health). This pattern is consistent across multiple countries.
For musicians, this matters: creative communities often face isolation, performance pressure, and irregular schedules, making mental health support crucial. The evidence suggests:
Peer support matters – staying connected can buffer holiday-related stress.
Check in around New Year – even when everyone seems celebratory, risks are higher.
Normalize conversation – discussing mental health openly reduces stigma and prevents crises.
The study also highlights that Valentine’s Day shows no consistent difference in suicide risk, but younger populations may be more vulnerable to self-harm behaviors, especially around relationships.
References:
Yeh, T.-C., Hsu, T.-W., Kao, Y.-C., et al. (2025). Suicide risk on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Valentine's Day: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Public Health, 13:1668476. PMC link
