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New York: Young adults across the world between the ages of 18 and 29 were struggling, not only with happiness, but also with their physical and mental health, their perceptions of their own character, finding meaning in life, the quality of their relationships and their financial security, according to a new study.
The data, collected by Gallup primarily in 2023, was derived from self-reported surveys of more than 200,000 people in over 20 countries and published in the journal Nature Mental Health on Wednesday. The study was one of a collection of papers based on the inaugural wave of data from the Global Flourishing Study, a collaboration between researchers at Harvard and Baylor University.
The study participants had relatively low measures of flourishing on average until age 50, the study found. This was the case in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil and Australia. But the difference between the younger and older adults was largest in the United States, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing the researchers.
"Young adulthood has long been considered a carefree time, a period of limitless opportunity and few obligations. But data from the flourishing study and elsewhere suggests that for many people, this notion is more fantasy than reality," said The Times in its report about the study.
"Study after study shows that social connection is critical for happiness, and young people are spending less time with friends than they were a decade ago," Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale and host of "The Happiness Lab" podcast, was quoted as saying.
"Plus, like folks of all ages, young people are facing a world with a whole host of global issues, from climate to the economy to political polarization."
