Shifting Happiness Trends Highlight Rising Youth Misery in Recent Research

Recent studies examining lifelong patterns of well-being reveal significant changes in happiness and mental health, especially among young people. Historically, happiness followed a U-shaped curve: peaking during youth, dipping in middle age, and rising again in older adulthood. Conversely, unhappiness showed a peak in middle age before declining later in life. However, new international data challenges this pattern.

A comprehensive analysis of data from 44 countries, including the US and UK, indicates that the highest levels of despair are now observed among young adults, contrary to previous findings. This shift is primarily due to a deterioration in mental health among youth rather than improvements in older populations. In the US, data from over 400,000 individuals’ surveys from 1993 to 2024 demonstrate a sharp rise in despair among young people aged 18-24. The percentage of young men reporting poor mental health daily has more than doubled—from 2.5% to 6.6%. For young women, it has nearly tripled—from 3.2% to 9.3%.

While despair has also increased among middle-aged groups, the most striking rise is among the youth, with relatively stable levels in the older demographic. The recent trend shows that, by 2023-2024, young females experience the highest levels of despair, reversing the previous pattern where older age groups reported more suffering. For men, despair levels are now similar between the youngest and middle-aged groups, with the lowest levels still among the elderly.

This evolution in mental health trends over recent years reflects a fundamental change in the relationship between age and well-being in the US, with despair no longer following the traditional lifecycle pattern. Instead, the pattern now emphasizes particularly high distress among the young.

Potential causes for these changes are still under investigation. Though the increase in despair predates the COVID-19 pandemic, recent evidence points to factors such as the heavy use of internet and smartphones and diminishing protections offered by paid employment. Studies suggest that excessive screen time may contribute to worsening mental health among youth, but it is unlikely to be the sole cause. Emerging research also indicates that shifts in the effectiveness of paid work to buffer mental health problems might be involved.

Experts agree that understanding and addressing rising despair among young people should be a priority for policymakers. Implementing targeted well-being strategies could help mitigate this troubling trend and promote healthier mental development within future generations.