A recent multi-country study reveals that young adults experience lower levels of well-being compared to individuals facing mid-life crises. This finding marks a significant shift, as previous research indicated a “happiness hump” during middle age. The analysis conducted by researchers David G. Blanchflower, Alex Bryson, and Xiaowei Xu suggests that mounting mental health challenges among the youth contribute to this reversal.
The study, published last week, indicates that the traditional U-shaped curve of life satisfaction has flattened or even flipped for today’s younger generations. Blanchflower noted the alarming rise in mental health struggles, stating, “We started out seeing this in the US, where we initially found that despair — where people say that every day of their life is a bad mental health day — has exploded for the young, especially among young women.” This troubling trend has also been observed in the UK and is now evident globally.
Declining Flourishing Scores Among Young Adults
Supporting evidence from the Global Flourishing Study, a collaboration among Harvard University, Baylor University, and Gallup, reveals that younger adults are starting their lives with lower flourishing scores. This decline persists into later years, with improvements not occurring until much later in life. In the words of Arthur C. Brooks, a columnist for The Atlantic, “Given the well-documented increase over the past decades in diagnosed mood disorders among adolescents and young adults, we might expect that left side [younger adults] to be pushed down in newer estimates.”
The findings indicate that flourishing scores for young adults do not exhibit the expected decline from early adulthood; rather, they remain low until they eventually begin to rise. This change has sparked discussions about the factors contributing to declining happiness levels among younger demographics.
U.S. Data Reflects Broader Trends
In the United States, recent polling underscores the downward trend in happiness among young adults. A survey conducted by the Gallup-Walton Family Foundation in August 2024 found that only 39% of Gen Z adults consider themselves “thriving,” a decrease of five percentage points since 2023. In contrast, middle and high school students reported higher levels of well-being, highlighting a disparity within the youth population.
The policy discourse surrounding this issue is intensifying, with researchers attributing the decline in happiness to various factors, including social media usage, screen time, loneliness, economic pressures, and family stress. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy has called for warning labels on social media platforms, citing their potential risks to youth mental health. Additionally, analyses from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have linked rising stress and anxiety among teenagers to an increase in substance use.
The implications of this study are significant, as they not only challenge long-held beliefs about happiness trends but also highlight the urgent need for interventions to support young people’s mental health. Understanding the root causes of their distress is essential for developing effective strategies to enhance their overall well-being.
