It's official, after years of speculation by British employees, an early return to work after the New Year may affect the mental health of millions of workers and be bad for the economy.

Scientific proof has been provided by Professor Cary Cooper, head of organizational psychology and health at the University of Manchester, who has diagnosed feelings of gloom felt by returning workers as post-bank holiday depression syndrome.

The cure for the condition, he said, was to make January 2nd a bank holiday, as in Scotland: 'People who start work on January 2nd feeling tired after the festivities could end up with the syndrome because they are returning before they are fully revitalized. This is compounded by the habit among more and more people not to take time off between Christmas and New Year. It cannot be good for business, since it may lower productivity levels. Having an extra day off on January 2nd could have significant long-term benefits.'

So now that we have the proof, make sure your boss is aware of it, after all an extra days holiday will obviously be in their favour.

A study by German researchers says regular exercise could be more effective than drugs in treating serious depression.

Thirty minutes of exercise a day significantly improved the moods of patients who were suffering from long-term depression, The London Telegraph reported Tuesday, citing researchers from the Freie University in Berlin.

A dozen people who had suffered depression for nine months were asked to rate their moods before and after a 10-day exercise program. Half the patients were substantially less depressed after the program, while two-showed slight improvement. The rest remained the same.

Fernando Dimeo, who led the team, told the British Journal of Sports Medicine the findings were impressive given that anti-depressants normally took between two and three weeks to work.

Rich people living in deprived areas are more prone to mental health problems than those living in affluent regions, according to a study by the Royal Free Hospital in London.