African Youth Lead Global Mind Health Rankings Amid Worldwide Decline
Kenyan Youths Celebrating
Nairobi, Kenya — African youth are topping global mind health rankings, even as young adults worldwide face a mounting mental health crisis, according to the Global Mind Health Report 2025 released by Sapien Labs.
The study, analyzing data from nearly one million internet-enabled adults across 84 countries, found that 41% of young adults (ages 18–34) experience declines in cognitive, emotional, social, and physical capacities, undermining their ability to navigate daily life. Yet Sub-Saharan Africa consistently outperformed higher-income regions, with Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania claiming the top five spots globally.
“The mind health crisis is a progressive generational slide that extends far beyond rising rates of depression and anxiety,” said Dr. Tara Thiagarajan, founder and chief scientist at Sapien Labs. “Young adults are struggling not only with mental health disorders but also with emotional control, relationships, and focus.”
The report highlights several protective factors contributing to Africa’s strong youth outcomes: stronger spiritual connections, later adoption of smartphones in childhood, and closer family bonds. Tanzania, for instance, leads globally in spirituality and has the oldest average age for first smartphone use, while Kenya and Nigeria show continued improvements in youth mind health.
Despite regional successes, the generational gap remains stark worldwide. Older adults consistently maintain stronger mind health outcomes than their younger peers, a trend that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic and has persisted in the years since.
Sapien Labs identified four major contributors to declining youth mind health globally: early smartphone use, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, weakened family bonds, and diminished spirituality. Analysis shows:
- Smartphones: Earlier exposure during childhood correlates with poorer adult mind health.
- Ultra-processed foods: High consumption contributes to 15–30% of mental health challenges.
- Spirituality: Strong spiritual connections can boost Mind Health Quotient (MHQ) scores by 20 points or more.
- Family bonds: Youth with weak family relationships are nearly four times more likely to struggle with mental health.
“These factors highlight the need for policy interventions, such as limiting smartphone use in childhood and regulating ultra-processed foods, to safeguard the well-being of future generations,” Dr. Thiagarajan said.
The report’s MHQ scoring system, which measures emotional, social, cognitive, and physical capacities, revealed stark global disparities:
- Ghana: Youth MHQ 69, highest globally.
- Nigeria: Youth MHQ 64.
- Kenya: Youth MHQ 63.
- Tanzania: Youth MHQ 62 (led globally last year).
- South Africa: Youth MHQ 39.
- UK: Youth MHQ 20, among the lowest worldwide.
- U.S.: Youth MHQ 36.
- India: Youth MHQ 33.
Experts warn that the declining mental capacities of young adults the heart of the workforce pose long-term economic risks. David Blanchflower, professor of economics at Dartmouth College, said, “When nearly half of the world’s young adults are struggling to function at full capacity, the implications for societies and economies are profound.”
The report calls for targeted policies to address these underlying factors, including restrictions on smartphone and social media use for children, research into ultra-processed food risks, and initiatives to strengthen family and spiritual engagement.
As the world grapples with declining youth mind health, Africa’s youth stand out as a rare success story, suggesting that cultural, social, and developmental factors can significantly buffer against global trends.
