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- South Africa and the UK are among the most distressed nations in the world when it comes to mental health.
- The 2023 Mental State of the World Report surveyed 500 000 respondents across 71 countries in nine regions.
- The report revealed that some of the reasons include long-lasting effects of the pandemic and owning smartphones at an early age.
South Africa has been ranked as one of the least happy and most distressed nations, according to the 2023 Mental State of the World Report.
The report, which surveyed 500 000 respondents across 71 countries in nine regions, highlighted a number of factors which contributed to South Africa's struggle.
Some of the issues include the lingering effects of the pandemic, early smartphone ownership, single-use plastic, and the consumption of processed foods, among other things.
Mental health levels
Using the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) assessment, the survey measured cognitive and emotional capabilities, and painted a sobering picture of mental well-being worldwide.
In the latest report, the average MHQ score across the 71 countries stood at 65 on the 300-point scale.
According to the findings, the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka and Tanzania emerged as the top-ranking countries, boasting MHQ scores of 88 or higher, indicating that they were not struggling as much with mental health.
On the other hand, South Africa found itself among the lowest-ranked nations, alongside Uzbekistan, which was the least mentally well nation, with a score of 48, followed by the United Kingdom (UK), featured as second-last, with a score of 49, and Brazil, at 50.
South Africa and the UK emerged as the most distressed countries, as they were struggling more than other countries across the world.
Triggers of distress
Among the key findings, researchers identified the age of first smartphone ownership and the consumption of ultra-processed foods as major contributors to mental health challenges.
In wealthier countries, where smartphone ownership starts at a younger age, and processed food consumption is higher, mental well-being suffers the most.
Younger generations, particularly those under 35, saw the biggest drop in mental well-being.
This made existing issues with mental health in younger age groups even worse. The decline has persisted across all age groups, highlighting a global trend of deteriorating mental well-being among the younger demographic.
Despite assumptions that greater wealth and economic development would lead to improved mental health outcomes, the data suggested otherwise.
African and Latin American countries, which are often less economically developed, consistently ranked higher in mental well-being than wealthier nations, like the United Kingdom and Australia.
Factors which play a part in these differences among the various nations include getting smartphones at a young age, eating a lot of processed foods, and having weaker connections with family and friends, which are common in wealthier communities with easy access to the internet.
