Britain has the WORST mental health in all of Europe, study finds – but the Japanese are the most miserable
British people are the most miserable people in Europe, according to a new analysis.
More than a third of adults in the UK say their mental health is poor, with 30 per cent feeling seriously depressed, anxious and stressed.
The results leave the UK as the most pessimistic country, behind only Japan and South Korea, according to an analysis of mental health across 18 countries.
Meanwhile, those living in Thailand are said to be in the best mood, followed closely by those living in Switzerland.
America ranked relatively high; It is the sixth happiest country among the 18 countries studied.
The analysis by insurer AXA and market researchers Ipsos is based on a survey of 19,000 people aged 18 to 75 from 18 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and South America.
Participants from each country were asked questions about how they viewed their mental health and whether they suffered from conditions such as anxiety, depression and chronic stress.
The responses were then used to calculate a score showing which countries had residents with good and poor mental health.
Today’s interactive chart from the Daily Mail reveals the rankings, with countries receiving lower scores indicating poorer overall mental health.
The report found that Britons are the group most disturbed by uncertainty about the future; Half of UK respondents said a rapidly changing world was affecting their wellbeing.
Despite the findings, 60 per cent of people experiencing mental health problems said they had not spoken to a professional in the past year.
A quarter said they feared they would be prosecuted if they did so.
Tara Foley, managing director of AXA UK and Ireland, described the result in the UK as ‘deeply worrying’.
“Our report shows that more than a third of the population is affected by mental health problems, and many people still face barriers to getting the support they need,” he said.
‘These are not just statistics; The numbers represent real lives and real struggles that deserve our attention and compassion.’
The research found that Britons are turning to AI for mental health support rather than seeking face-to-face help; Yet research repeatedly shows that AI is unreliable for healthcare advice.
About 46 percent said they used chatbots for mental health support, although this was below the global average of 63 percent.
Two in five people said they trust AI more for guidance than a mental health professional.
This comes after a separate study conducted by the University of Oxford earlier this year found that using AI for medical advice could be dangerous, with the technology giving false diagnoses and failing to recognize when emergency help is required.
More than a third of adults in the UK say their mental health is poor, with 30 per cent feeling seriously depressed, anxious and stressed
The latest figures also suggest mental illness may be more common in the UK than official statistics indicate.
Widely cited survey data shows that one in four people in Britain has a mental illness.
Meanwhile, NHS data shows just one in five people are diagnosed with the disease by a medical professional.
Figures published by the Office for National Statistics earlier this year showed Britons have been consistently dissatisfied with life since the Covid outbreak.
It was suggested at the time that the decline in living standards across the UK could be driving this trend.
Japan is also believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis during the pandemic.
The rate of people suffering from depression in the Far Eastern country more than doubled in 2020, from 7.9 percent in 2013 to 17.3 percent in 2020, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The suicide rate in the country also increased in 2020 for the first time in 11 years.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said women were particularly badly affected by the epidemic.
At the time, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan attributed this to women being physically and mentally stuck.
Authorities blamed the rise in domestic violence on the pressure of childcare and caregiving responsibilities and the financial hardship faced by many people working part-time.
They also said that children were in a difficult situation after staying at home for a long time during the period when schools were closed.
At the other end of the rankings, Switzerland is often among the happiest countries in the world, thanks to its high standard of living, strong economy and healthcare system.
It ranked 10th in the World Happiness Report last year and topped the global rankings in 2015.
Meanwhile, Thailand is often referred to as the ‘Land of Smiles’ due to its friendly culture.
The Thai concept of sanuk, which means fun or pleasure, encourages people to take pleasure in even daily tasks and is often cited as a reason for the country’s positive outlook.
