Not such a happy birthday

Birthdays really do become more depressing the older you get.

Open University researchers asked a panel of more than 300 people about their feelings on the subject.

They commented on topics such as their previous birthday, friends who remembered their birthdays, and their most memorable birthday.

The panel also kept seven-day diaries of thoughts or encounters they had with birthdays.

Most answers related to age and mortality, illness, histories, expectations and comparisons with older generations. One 36-year-old woman said: "I don't enjoy birthdays, so I was glad to get through it without being too upset."

Project leader Dr Bill Bytheway said: "Reactions we have on this one day may contribute to how we experience life as we age."