NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Indian young adults have performed poorly in Mind Health Quotient (MHQ) scores, ranking 60 out of 84 nations featured in an ongoing global mental health study.
The study by US-based Sapien Labs — Global Mind Health in 2025 — also revealed that not only did Indian youths in the 18-34 age group score poorly globally, but they also did worse on mental well-being parameters compared to older Indians aged above 55, who were ranked 49.
According to the study, young adults in India had an average MHQ score of about 33, defined under the “Distressed or Struggling” category, while the average for those above 55 was nearly 100, indicating the “Managing or Succeeding” category.
“Since we began measuring in 2019, the mind health of adults aged 55 and older has remained consistently at scores of about 100, exactly where a normal population is expected to be on the MHQ scale. On the other hand, young adults under 35, who were already struggling relative to their parents and grandparents before the COVID-19 pandemic, took a sharp nosedive during the pandemic from which they have never recovered,” Tara Thiagarajan, founder and chief scientist at Sapien Labs, said in the report.
Geographically, the 18-34 age group fared worse than older adults in all countries.
Those countries that have relatively better mind health are predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa and include Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania.
Those at the bottom include Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and China.
Finland, which consistently tops the World Happiness Index based on their rating of life satisfaction, ranks 28 out of 84 countries on mind health for those aged above 55, and 40 out of 84 for those aged 18-34 years.
The report, which uses data from over one million internet-enabled respondents across 84 nations in 2024 and 2025, also looks at different aspects of modern life that are worsening the mental health in global youth.
Thiagarajan said the surprising aspect of this decline in mental health in younger generations is that it is most pronounced in the wealthier and more developed countries.
“To solve it, we will have to tackle its root causes rather than simply treat symptoms. For the past four years, we have been probing these root causes to understand what aspects of modern life — diminished family bonds, diminished spirituality, smartphones at a young age, and increasing consumption of ultra-processed food — are driving this trend,” she said.
The report notes that those who have poor family relationships are almost four times more likely to have mind health scores in the distressed or struggling ranges: 44 per cent in those who don’t get along with anyone in their family, compared to 12 per cent in those who are close to many family members.
In an associated study of mind health among internet-enabled adults in India, closeness to family was found to matter far more for mind health and well-being than income.
In India, nearly 64 per cent respondents in the 18-34 age group reported being close to their families, while the number was higher at about 78 per cent for those above 55.
The global average age at which youngsters got their first smartphones was 14, while in India it was 16.5.
The consumption of ultra-processed food was also higher among young adults in India at 44 per cent compared to the older generation at 11 per cent.
The report noted that spending on mental health research and care has risen dramatically across Western countries over the past decade, yet outcomes have not improved and are worse in many countries.
“The United States, for instance, spent USD 2.2 billion on mental health research in 2024 alone, and over USD 100 billion in annual expenditures for the treatment of mental disorders among adults aged 18 and older, adding up to over USD 1 trillion over the recent decade. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service spent GBP 12 billion on mental health services in 2021-22,” it said.
“Yet, despite this scale of investment, outcomes have not improved and are worse than numerous countries with minimal per capita spending on mental health care. At best, current spending has largely supported research and care models that provide incremental symptom relief without addressing root causes,” it added. (PTI)
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