Individualism, loneliness and inequality have been the enemies of mental health in two years of pandemic. This is one of the conclusions of the Second Annual World State of Mind Report (2021), made by Sapiens Labsan organization that is in charge of monitoring and understanding the interaction between life experiences, the physiology of the brain and the cognitive and mental health of people around the world.
If you did not manage to participate, you could still contribute to one of its next editions through the Mental Health Quotient test, Created from the review of more than one hundred assessment tools. It is a battery of questions that can be answered in fifteen minutes and offers an appreciation of your current state, which could suggest that you are ‘suffering’, ‘battling’, ‘enduring’, ‘managing’, ‘achieving’ or ‘thriving’.
The quiz will take you through six areas or dimensions of mental health: cognition (ability to process information), adaptability and resilience, social self, mood and attitude, drive and motivation, and mind-body connection. Why so many aspects? As mentioned, the test draws on numerous measurement material and tries to be comprehensive. You may be strong in certain areas and need work in others.
The report gathered data suggesting that more material wealth does not mean greater mental well-being. For example, 8 of the 20 countries with the highest Mental Health Quotient levels are among the Spanish and French-speaking countries of Latin America and Europe.
The doctor Tara Thiagarajan, neuroscientist and founder of Sapien Labs, explained to this newspaper that while digital interconnection is greater, the strength of personal relationships is diminishing. “The pandemic has shown us the profound impact of social isolation on our general well-being,” she says. Between 2019 and 2022, mental well-being declined in correlation with the severity of lockdown, “particularly for younger people.” Progressive social isolation makes us increasingly unhappy.
But the pandemic is just over two years old, and the decline in mental health takes longer. The increase in the use of smartphones in the last decade saw the well-being of the younger generations decline. “Prior to this, studies showed that adults aged 18-24 had higher mental well-being.”
Thiagarajan shares some of the probable reasons, which could be summed up as follows: We are experiencing a decline in mood and perspective, and a collapse of the social self, that is, “the way we see ourselves and the ability to form and maintain strong relationships with others.”
- We spend seven to ten hours online. This leaves little time for in-person social engagement. Before the internet, someone over the age of 18 spent more than triple the time interacting with friends and family than they do now. “Interacting in person teaches us to read facial expressions, body language, physical contact, gauge our emotional responses appropriately to the situation, resolve conflicts”, as well as everything that is crucial for socio-emotional development; and without that, our mental well-being is compromised, says the researcher.
- The internet changes and distorts expectations, exposing people to a larger, carefully filtered world that does not reflect reality in beauty or personal achievement. The gap between expectations and reality impacts our emotions.
- The possibility of anonymity on the internet leads to less civil and friendly behavior. “Things are said that would never be said in person.”
- Bad news seems to spread faster and create more negative perceptions of the world.
Is a more educated and prosperous brain happier?
One of the revelations of this report is that Anglosphere countries (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia) have given the lowest rates in the Mental Health Quotient. They had a 90/200 rating in the 2019 report. In 2020, after the coronavirus, it was 66. And in 2021 it fell to 60. Both scores keep them in the range of those who are ‘managing’ their mental health burden. (The test is in German, French, English, Arabic and Spanish).
The main reason, says Thiagarajan, is that, although education is associated with higher well-being, it is not the only driver. “People in one country may be worse off compared to those with the same, or even lower, educational level in another country.” And he adds that more developed countries “tend to be more individualistic and responsibility-oriented,” and function in more social isolation. These factors are highly negatively correlated with mental well-being.
What do French- and Spanish-speaking European countries (80/200) and Latin American countries (75/200) have in their favor? The cultural factor, says Thiagarajan. The main strengths of Latin America can be cultural: a high commitment within the family group and social commitment. Even so, the rating is better, but not decidedly high. What needs to change to move towards ‘achieving’ or ‘thriving’ in mental health? Two fundamental things, says the expert:
- Abandon the cultural paradigm of individualism focused on productivity, which ignores the social need of the human being. “We need to promote cultural paradigms that balance the focus between productivity and building strong families, friendships and communities., essentially a strong social fabric.” Spend more time together in person, especially during childhood.
- Better regulation and education around the internet, so that children grow up using an internet that is kinder to their minds. “This could go through regulate the ability to appear anonymously on the internet, as well as teach children how to behave appropriately when browsingin the same way that we teach them how to behave in person”.
Determined to take the mental health test?
You can do this for free online at the Sapien Labs site. This is not a knowledge test; Most of the questions are aimed at making you reflect on how you see yourself and how you feel and react to different situations. Your answers will be used to give you personalized recommendations along with your mental profile.
Does it seem very subjective? Yes, says Thiagarajan. Our emotions are based on how we evaluate each situation depending on our expectations, what we think it should be. “One person can be very happy in the same situation that another can find very distressing.; the same job may seem like a happy achievement to someone with a lower education, while someone with a higher education would see it as a failure.”
Therefore, he considers, mental well-being must be evaluated in the context of a person’s subjective perception of their own circumstances. what you feel is important. “In the case of the MHQ (Mental Health Quotient), people are assessing how various mental attributes affect their ability to function within their life context.” (EITHER)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
