The 1974 music hit Lonely Christmas by British rock band Mud sounds a discordant note with the general media hype about the fun and joy Christmas is supposed to bring to families.

Special newspaper supplements, glossy magazines, decorated streets and shop windows inviting people to join in the fun of what is described as the festive season, presuppose that everybody should drop the gloomy look and be happy.

But what may be fun for many could very well turn out to be a lonely Christmas for some and, according to the clinical psychologist at Mount Carmel Hospital, Mikela Smith La Rosa, society could do with a bit more of understanding for those who cannot share in the fun.

Christmastime, like other major occasions, she says, can rekindle feelings of loss in people who have experienced the death of a relative or friend or the end of a relationship.

"For people passing through a bad patch it is easy to fall into depression at this time of the year. It could make things worse to expect these people to engage in happiness because everybody else is doing so," she says, pointing out that the matter also concerns people with social problems such as homelessness, unemployment and loneliness.

The most important thing for relatives or friends, she adds, is not to impose their idea of happiness but understand that people face different circumstances and may have good reason not to partake in the Christmas spirit.

"A good listening ear is sometimes enough," Ms Smith La Rosa says, urging people going through a bad time to try and reach out and seek professional help if required.

"It is definitely not the case that at Christmastime everybody is supposed to be happy. It may be the picture painted by the media and society but reality is a different thing altogether," she says.

Happy Christmas may be a harmless thing to say but, as the hit song goes, indeed for some it could truly be lonely this Christmas without somebody to hold.