ACCORDING to the Global Mind Project’s “Mental State of the World” 2023 study, Malaysia is the fifth happiest nation in the world.
The Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Panama are the top four happiest countries. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and Tajikistan are the top five unhappiest.
The study, carried out by nonprofit neuroscience research group Sapien Labs, was predicated on questionnaires completed by more than 400,000 individuals across 71 nations.
The research evaluates 47 characteristics of mental health across six categories using the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ).
The six categories also place special emphasis on disposition and attitude, social self, motivation and drive, mind-body link, cognitive function, adaptability, and resilience.
Tanzania (88), Sri Lanka (89), and the Dominican Republic (91 out of 300) had the highest average MHQ scores.
However, Malaysia had a score of 85 per cent, up 2.9 per cent from 2022.
The study also gathered data on lifestyle, relationships with family and friends, and personal trauma.
According to Sapiens Lab, following a precipitous decline during the Covid-19 years, 2023 MHQ scores are essentially stable in 2021 and 2022.
In addition, those under 35 saw a worsening of mental health decreases as a result of the pandemic, according to Sapien Labs.
“..the pandemic amplified a pre-existing trend of poorer mental wellbeing for younger generations that is now visible across the globe.”
According to the report, wealthy nations like the UK and Australia are ranked at the bottom, while a number of African and Latin American countries topped the ranks as in past years.
“This suggests that greater wealth & economic development do not necessarily lead to greater mental well-being.”
This year’s study quantifies the global impaired ties of family and friendship that may be at its heart, depicts a global population still emotionally wounded by the epidemic years, and underlines the global deterioration of the Social Self in younger generations.
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