The research was based on data from 44 countries, including the United Kingdom, and showed that the peak of unhappiness is no longer limited to middle age but has shifted to the younger age group, with a noticeable decline in their mental health, according to the Medical Express website. Surveys including more than 400,000 people in the United States, between 1993 and 2024, confirmed this worrying shift. According to the data, the rate of despair—defined as the daily feeling of “not good” mental health over 30 days—has sharply increased among young people. In contrast, the middle-aged group (25-44 years old) experienced a less severe increase in despair, with the rate rising among women from 4.2% to 8.5%, and among men from 3.1% to 6.9%. Meanwhile, the older age group (45-70 years old) maintained relatively stable levels, with only slight increases. This shift reflects a radical change in the relationship between age and mental health over the past three decades, raising questions about the underlying reasons for this severe deterioration among the youth and calling for the need to address this escalating mental health crisis.
