While generally the holidays are viewed as a time of happiness, which most people look forward to all year, for some the holiday season can cause anxiety and worsen depression. The article “8 tips for Surviving Depression and Anxiety During the Holidays” is written by a psychiatrist for the Huffington Post’s online blog.
Pyschiatrist Carol Berman describes how for one of her patients, “John,” the holiday seasons were particularly difficult. John had suffered from depression since his 30s, and with no living family or long-term relationships, he had few holiday plans. During the holiday season, John also began to drink more, and felt increasingly angry and irritated.
Berman discusses how during the holidays, suicidal thoughts and behaviors are common in depressed individuals, with John exhibiting such behaviors. Dr. Bearman includes her tips and advice for making it through the holiday season, with suggestions ranging from leaving town to volunteering in a soup kitchen. All the suggestions recommend that an individual keeps him or herself busy over the holidays.
I feel many of the reasons for the increases in depression during the holiday season can be tied to individual’s lack of social networks. In John’s case, he leads a lonely life and the few friends he does have, Berman states, have family obligations or other plans over the holidays. Since our society places such a heavy emphasis on family and social ties during the holidays, for someone like John, the constant reminder of the lack of these ties may be to blame for increased holiday depression.
It is easy for people not suffering from a mental health illness to overlook the ways in which the emphasis our society places on holidays and family may be a cause of further depression or anxiety for someone who lacks these ties. It can heighten the sense of not belonging, and make someone feel more isolated, and thus is in part socially constructed. Thus, Berman’s suggestions to keep busy over the holidays seems valid. However, since the complete state model looks not just at the absence of mental illnesses but also the presence of “flourishing,” I feel simply keeping oneself busy over the holiday seasons will not lead to mental “flourishing,” and other steps must be taken to work towards this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carol-w-berman-md/depression-holidays_b_4241200.html
SOC 230, Fall 2013 
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Yes, I think you are right about the impact of social ties and I understand what you are saying about flourishing. However, staying busy by volunteering at a soup kitchen might help with flourishing because “downward” social comparisons (in this instance, comparing yourself to someone who is homeless) are known to improve your mood), and there are psychosocial benefits to volunteering as well (for instance by feeling like you are contributing to society, which I think is one of the questions in Keyes’ survey). I’m not sure that just leaving town would be as helpful though, like you were saying.