Bristol tops UK list for winter blues impact, according to a new study

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Bristol has been revealed as the saddest city in the UK, according to new research.

The study, done by Bigvits.co.uk, used Google searches for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in 2024 to rank each city in the UK.

A total of 15.6 million searches where made in 2024, peaking in November and January, with 23% of Brits looking online for SAD advice and a further 11.9 million turning to Google for meditation and mindfulness tips.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘Self Care Sunday’ searches also grew nine times in 2024, reaching 5,000 monthly searches.

Dr Shane Thurlow, PhD and Nutritional Scientist at Bigvits.co.uk said: "It's obvious from our research that seasonal sadness is a key factor in many Brits' well-being concerns.

"Quality sleep, balanced nutrition, and time in nature can help ease Blue Monday's impact. Small, steady steps toward wellbeing bring huge rewards.

Bristol has been revealed as the saddest city in the UK, according to new research. The study, done by Bigvits.co.uk, used Google searches for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in 2024 to rank each city in the UK.Bristol has been revealed as the saddest city in the UK, according to new research. The study, done by Bigvits.co.uk, used Google searches for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in 2024 to rank each city in the UK.
Bristol has been revealed as the saddest city in the UK, according to new research. The study, done by Bigvits.co.uk, used Google searches for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in 2024 to rank each city in the UK. | Pexels/Andrew Neel
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Despite interest in SAD, the spike in mindfulness, meditation, and 'Self Care Sunday' searches in our research reflect a push towards proactive mental health".

Bristol tops the list with the most SAD searches (985 searches per 1,000 people, or 98.5% of the population).

York and Edinburgh followed with 898 searches per 1,000 people (or 89.8% of the population) and 848 searches per 1,000 people (or 84.8% of the population), respectively.

The happiest cities were Greater Manchester (177 searches per 1,000 people or 17.7% of the population), Newcastle (380 searches per 1,000 people or 38% of the population) and London (381 searches per 1,000 people or 38.1% of the population).

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice