For many, the holiday season is filled with joy, anticipation and hopes for the coming new year. However, for just as many, the season can be marked by sadness, anxiety or a condition commonly referred to as the "holiday blues."

The holiday blues can occur for various reasons and is typically marked by changes in a woman's personality, lack of interest in things and activities she previously enjoyed, low energy levels, feelings of helplessness, feeling overwhelmed and decreased sexual desire. The increased demands from shopping, attending parties, family gatherings and visitors also assist in aggravating these symptoms.

"Holiday stress definitely contributes to the holiday blues," says Dr. Gary L. Hansen, extension professor and chair of the Department of Community and Leadership Development at the University of Kentucky. "Women and their families need to be aware of this and know the warning signs of depression, which are the same at any time during the year."

A nationwide online survey conducted in December 2003 by the National Women's Health Resource Center based in Red Bank, N.J., indicated that nearly two-thirds of respondents reported they have suffered from depression during the holidays. Some even reported their depression severely affected their lives to the extent that they did not take part in all the various activities of the season.

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