A new global report from Sapien Labs reveals that young adults in Sub-Saharan Africa exhibit stronger mental resilience than their Western counterparts, whose mental well-being has plummeted since 2019.
However, the study also cautions that Africa’s advantage may be at risk as digital and urban lifestyles spread across the continent.
The Mental State of the World 2024 Report, which analyzed over one million responses from 76 countries, found that mental health among 18- to 34-year-olds in high-income nations has deteriorated sharply, with no signs of improvement. The decline is linked to weaker social connections, increased screen time, poor diets, and environmental factors.
In contrast, African youth reported notably higher mental well-being scores, with Tanzania ranking first globally. Young adults in Nigeria and Kenya also fared well, with Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) scores above 60 and in the 50-60 range, respectively, outperforming most Western nations.
However, South African youth showed similar declines to the West, scoring between 30-40 MHQ.
The findings suggest that later smartphone exposure, stronger family and community ties, and more in-person interactions contribute to Africa’s relative mental resilience. But researchers warn that without proactive measures, Africa’s youth could follow the same downward trend seen in the West.
Founder and chief scientist at Sapien Labs, Tara Thiagarajan, Ph.D., commented, „Africa holds a unique advantage in youth mental health, an asset that must be actively protected as the continent undergoes rapid technological and economic shifts. With Africa’s youthful population set to play a key role in the global economy in the coming decades, governments must take proactive steps to ensure that urbanization, digital adoption and evolving lifestyles do not erode the mental resilience that is now setting African youth apart from the rest of the world“
According to the report, older populations across the globe, ranked well with an average of 100 MHQ in populations of 55+ Countries that ranked high in older populations, with a score of over 110 include countries in Africa, Central and South America, South East Asia and Israel and the UAE. Nigeria was ranked high at 110 plus and Kenya was in the second group of countries with scores between 100 and 110. In stark contrast to older adults, the average MHQ of younger Internet-enabled adults under age 35, ranges from 5 to 71 across 79 countries with an average globally of just 38, over 60 points lower than those aged 55 plus.
Many under 35’s are merely enduring life with 41 percent classified as distressed or struggling, i.e. experiencing an average of five or more clinical level symptoms of mental distress that significantly impair their ability to navigate their lives and function productively. Across all countries, younger adults have diminished Mind Health relative to older generations. In only 15 out of 79 countries did their average MHQ exceed 50 and just one country – Tanzania, had an average MHQ above 65 – equivalent to the lowest country average among those aged 55+.
Findings from the report, further suggest that stronger community and family ties, later exposure to smartphones, and more face-to-face social interactions may contribute to these varying scores. These factors, which help build emotional resilience, have been declining in high-income nations over the past decade, where digital connectivity and individualism have replaced traditional social structures. However, as Africa urbanizes and adopts more technology, researchers warn that these benefits could fade if not protected, leading to a decline in young people‘s mental well-being across the continent.
Thiagarajan, went on to say, “The report highlights a widening generational gap in mental health worldwide. While older adults (55+) continue to thrive, younger adults are facing unique levels of distress. The consequence of this as the older generation moves out of the workforce is that we will be faced with a new workforce that may not be able to cope with the pressures of daily life. There will be less productivity, more days off, less co-operation and more anxiety and possibly more violence in daily life with a generation that does not have the emotional and cognitive ability to cope”.
She went on to say, “For Africa, this presents both an opportunity and a challenge to learn from global trends and act now to preserve the mental resilience of its young people. African nations must look at ways to counter childhood exposure to smart phones and ultra-processed diets and environmental toxins. As the continent advances, leaders and communities need to encourage the strong social and cultural bonds that have helped protect young Africans and look at ways that youth across the continent can further develop resilience and achieve their full potential”.
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