The holiday season is a time of incredible joy. Between special events at church, families spending more time together, and the general sense of celebration in communities, Christmas takes on a very special place in the hearts of youth and adults. But Christmas may not be a great time for everyone. Christmas can be a time of serious depression. Some reports indicate that suicides increase during the holidays. And substance abuse may increase as well. Why?

Christmas can be a time of difficulty for a lot of youth. Some teenagers may associate Christmas with the loss of a grandparent, a parent, or someone else who is close to him or her. Christmas may be a reminder of the absence of someone they held dear. Because some teenagers lack the cognitive skills to process their loss, emotions may be overwhelming.

Some teenagers lack close ties with their family. They may desire to feel surrounded by the love of family, but find themselves in a home where they are abused—or worse yet, ignored. Single parent families can be lonely places for some teens during the holidays because the single mom or dad works extra hours to try to provide a special meal and presents for children. If the family has gone through a divorce in recent years, Christmas may accentuate the sense of loss the teenager feels at the fracturing of his or her family.

If you know that teenagers in your group have lost someone recently, or have lost someone around the holiday times, ask them how they are coping with the loss. Don’t try to force them to talk about things they don’t want to, but invite them to talk about their feelings of frustration, loss, and pain. If you know one of your students has a challenging family situation, spend a little extra time with him or her during the holidays. Talk about how to build new Christmas memories and new traditions each year.

Pay attention to the moods of the teenagers in your group. Yes, teenagers are usually moody. But if a teenager who is usually happy seems to grow sullen, or if a teenager who is often quiet suddenly stops showing up, find some ways to offer him or her support.

As your group celebrates Christmas with progressive dinners, gift exchanges, angel tree gifts, or food baskets for needy families, keep in mind that for some of your students, Christmas is a time when they need special love and attention.