Uzbekistan has emerged as the planet’s most miserable country – with Britain coming second – as the Dominican Republic was given the title of best in the world’s wellbeing charts, a “worrying” global report claims.
The research was carried out by a US-based think tank Sapien Labs and assessed 50,000 respondents across 71 countries, with 11 new countries added for 2023.
Data was collected via the MHQ assessment, an anonymous online survey evaluating cognitive and emotional abilities and providing an overall mental wellbeing score.
The survey also included demographic information, lifestyle factors like diet and smartphone use, dynamics in relationships with friends and family, and experiences of traumas and challenges.
The five countries with the best mental wellbeing are the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Panama and Malaysia.
The bottom five are Tajikistan, Brazil, South Africa, the UK and Uzbekistan.
The UK secured 70th position in the list of the 71 countries in terms of mood, outlook on life and self-esteem in 2023, scoring only 49 on the mental wellbeing score when the global average was 65.
However, impoverished African and Latin American countries scored highest, with the Dominican Republic ranking first and Tanzania third.
According to researchers, mental health significantly declined in the Western world during the pandemic, and there has been no improvement even after five years, reported MailOnline.
They attribute the decreased mental wellbeing scores in wealthy nations to various factors, such as excessive mobile phone usage, increased consumption of fast food, weakening friendships and family bonds, and the surge in remote work.
The researchers said: “The insights in this report paint a worrying picture of our post-pandemic prospects and we urgently need to better understand the drivers of our collective mental wellbeing.”
The report found that in English-speaking countries in the West, younger people under the age of 35 saw the biggest decline in mental wellbeing both during and after the pandemic, while those over 65 have stayed relatively steady.
Mental wellbeing refers to an individual’s capacity to cope with everyday challenges and effectively contribute to society.
The British Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Uzbekistan and warns of a “high threat of terrorist attacks” for people travelling to the country which is considered to have limited civil rights.
The MHQ score ranged from -100 to 200. A score less than zero was classed as distressed or struggling, between 0 and 50 meant enduring, 50-100 meant they were managing and between 100 and 200 was succeeding or thriving. The average MHQ score across the 71 countries in 2023 was 65 out of 200, researchers observed.
The Dominican Republic might rank highest because of its laid-back lifestyle and uncomplicated way of living. It’s also notable for its cleanliness and safety compared to other Caribbean nations.
Sri Lanka, as part of Asian culture, prioritises strong family bonds, which enhance mental wellbeing. The country also embraces a straightforward lifestyle.
Another significant observation made by the researchers is that mental wellbeing tends to be poorer among younger age groups. This trend is evident across all countries among individuals with internet access.
Dr Tara Thiagarajan, Sapien Labs Founder and chief scientist, told DailyMail.com that there was a reporting bias due to the fact that the survey was only open to people who had Internet access in each country, meaning that within a less developed country, people surveyed likely also were more well off and educated, making them more similar to people in developed countries.
