This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A survey of 50,000 people across 92 countries finds global mental health may be languishing, including in the wealthiest countries, and especially among young people, who in previous generations had comparatively higher levels of mental health. Worldwide, mental health scores appear to be dragged down by responses from younger people who lack fundamental aspects of well-being, particularly lower vitality, emotional stability and resilience.
In contrast, the study found positive signs for older people and, more broadly, for how people of all ages view their relationships and sense of meaning. The findings are published in the journal Social Indicators Research. "These findings are more than just a sign to policymakers that solutions are necessary to improve mental health among young people or those struggling to make ends meet," says lead author Kai Ruggeri, Ph.D., professor of health policy and management at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
"In fact, they are a flashing red light that entire populations are already struggling and feel their resilience is diminished here and now, not only a concern for an uncertain future. Leaders can no longer use vague platitudes that hand-wave toward investing in nonspecific mental health initiatives. "They have to make specific commitments to significant actions: ensure livelihoods in the face of AI-driven job losses, address factors driving burnout in young and working-age populations, and take steps that will generate confidence toward future opportunities—and all of this needs to be underpinned with improving access to care for mental illness.
Failure to do so is not just a threat for the future, but for here and now," he continues. The survey, conducted predominantly online, asked respondents 10 questions about mental health, capturing a variety of dimensions, including feelings of competence, optimism, self-esteem, positive emotion, engagement and vitality, among others. This was followed by additional measures of common mental disorders such as stress, depression and anxiety, as well as overall life satisfaction.
The researchers also collected demographic information on age, sex, wealth, employment and more. The highest-scoring mental health dimensions were relationships, meaning, competence, engagement and self-esteem. This finding may indicate that individuals self-assess positively but are negative about external factors driving down well-being.
In other words, they may feel generally positive about their personal circumstances and experiences, but events beyond their control (political and economic instability) are causing significant harm (fear, stress, burnout). This aligns with reports on "optimism gaps" between what people view for their own lives versus what they view for society more generally. People who were employed and those with higher incomes tended to have better mental health and well-being.
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