Reacción a "The deteriorating mental health of young people is causing the "unhappiness curve" for those under 50 to disappear"

"The article ‘The declining mental health of the young and the global disappearance of the unhappiness hump shape in age’ (Blanchflower, Bryson and Xu) analyses the evolution of subjective well-being and discomfort throughout life. Traditionally, numerous studies have shown a U-shaped curve of well-being (decline until middle age and subsequent recovery) and a hump of unhappiness (peak in middle age). However, new analyses show that this pattern has changed: unhappiness now declines continuously with age. The central explanatory factor is the deterioration of young people's mental health, both in absolute terms and in comparison with older adults. The analysis, based on data from the Global Minds survey of 44 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom (2020–2025), confirms that the hump in unhappiness has disappeared and that a downward trend with age is now observed internationally".

Is the study of good quality?

"Yes. The work has a solid and rigorous design and is supported by representative, robust and large-scale data sources, such as the BRFSS in the US (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System), the UKHLS (UK Household Longitudinal Survey), the APS (Annual Population Surveys) in the United Kingdom, and Global Minds with 44 countries and more than 1.7 million observations. Another strength of the study is that it uses both descriptive (graphical) and regression analyses, which reinforce the consistency of the findings and their internal validity. In addition, the article is published in a high-impact international peer-reviewed journal (PLOS One), which adds to its academic quality. Finally, it should be noted that the work identifies a phenomenon with a major social impact, which connects with the global agenda on mental health and youth.

Are the results novel?

Yes, the results are very novel. The study breaks with one of the most cited regularities in social sciences, the U-shaped curve of well-being and the hump of unhappiness with age. It shows that this pattern disappeared in the United States, the United Kingdom and globally, being replaced by a decline in unhappiness with age. The study is relevant because it challenges a well-established empirical finding: the existence of the U-shaped curve of well-being and the hump of ill-being throughout life. The evidence presented shows that this pattern is changing and that young people's mental health is deteriorating significantly, creating a new scenario for research and educational and social intervention.

The finding that young people's mental health has deteriorated more than that of older adults is relevant and worrying, and connects with current debates on social media, generational inequality, the effects of COVID-19, job insecurity, etc.

What are the implications?

"In my opinion, the results of the study have four relevant educational and social implications:

1. The results reinforce the need to develop strategies in educational centres, throughout the entire school system, including university, with the aim of early detection (which involves teacher training to identify signs of distress and referral when necessary), as well as universal prevention work to avoid problems and promote well-being (classroom programmes that foster socio-emotional development, programmes on well-being, digital self-care, resilience, positive coexistence, etc.). This poses a challenge for education, namely to promote resilience, emotion management and digital skills to reduce risks associated with factors such as problematic use of the internet or social media (activities that encourage responsible use of technology, education in critical digital skills to prevent the negative effects of social media and overexposure online).
2. The results highlight the need for mental health promotion programmes for young people, both at school and in the community. In educational centres, this can be achieved by promoting spaces for dialogue where students can express their concerns and fears and talk about their mental health problems with the aim of eradicating the stigma surrounding mental health. All this should be done in collaboration with families and health professionals to establish support networks that transcend the school environment.
3. The results point to the urgent need to design public policies that integrate various areas (education, health, work, family) to support new generations in the face of this deterioration. It is necessary to prioritise youth mental health as a structural problem and not just a temporary one. Furthermore, these data suggest that this situation poses a risk to the labour market, productivity and social cohesion if no action is taken, as mental health problems and distress influence academic performance, training and, consequently, access to and productivity in work.
4. The results emphasise the need for research to explore in greater depth the causes of this increase in distress and mental health problems in adolescence and youth (frustrated expectations, digitalisation, the pandemic, underfunding of mental health services, etc.) and to design evidence-based interventions.

What are its limitations?

"Among the limitations of the study, the following should be noted:

1. Its cross-sectional research design, because working with repeated cross-sectional data rather than strict longitudinal studies (tracking individuals over time) limits the ability to infer causality (cause-effect relationship). The study identifies trends but does not conclusively demonstrate which causal factors (e.g., problematic use of the internet and social media, job insecurity, economic crisis, COVID-19, social isolation, etc.) explain the deterioration in well-being and mental health among young people.
2. The use of self-reports to collect data, in which participants report their subjective perceptions and may be influenced by cultural or social desirability biases.
3. Although the authors acknowledge that the deterioration begins in early adolescence (10-16 years), the data analysed begins at around 18 years of age and information on early adolescence is lacking.

In summary: the study is of high quality and has a significant impact, with highly novel results that change our understanding of the relationship between age and well-being. Its implications are enormous for public health, education and social policies, although its methodological limitations suggest that it should be complemented by longitudinal, clinical and qualitative studies that delve deeper into the causes.

The finding that distress decreases with age but starts high in youth shows that adolescents and young people are now a vulnerable group in terms of mental health, which calls for strengthening the role of schools as agents of protection and prevention. The results suggest that investing in the well-being and mental health of students not only improves the school climate and academic performance, but also ensures a more balanced and resilient human development for future generations.