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| Tara Thiagarajan, Founder & Chief Scientist, Sapien Labs. |
Dar es Salaam, 6 March 2025: Sapien Labs, a global leader in mental health research, has released the Mental State of the World 2024 report, revealing that Tanzania's young adults demonstrate stronger mental resilience, achieving the highest recorded mental well-being scores among all 76 countries surveyed globally. However, it is worth noting that the figures for Tanzanian youth are still way below the average figures for older adults generally across the globe.
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 in just one country – Tanzania, had an average MHQ above 65 – equivalent to the lowest country average among those aged 55+.
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The report, which analysed over one million responses worldwide from internet enabled populations in 76 countries, across all continents, shows that Tanzania stands out as the only country where the average Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) of internet-enabled young adults exceeds 70. These figures contrasts sharply with Western nations, where youth mental well-being has been in steep decline since 2019, with no signs of recovery. The decline in mind health across the world is characterized by a deterioration of the ability to control and regulate thoughts and emotions as well as form and maintain positive relationships with people.
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, Israel and the UAE. 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% 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
The reasons behind Tanzania’s stronger figures on youth mental well-being, can be linked to several factors including the country’s minimal ultra-processed food sales, less exposure to plastic – Tanzania has banned single use plastic, as well as less exposure to industrial toxins – the economy is more focused on tourism and agriculture. The other major factor benefitting Tanzania’s youth is less exposure to smart phones from a young age and less time spent on phones – which could be the result of weaker internet coverage across the country. The other strong factor helping Tanzania’s youth be more mentally resilient is that the country has a more socially, collective culture with a greater emphasis on family bonds and friendships.
Tara Thiagarajan, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientist at Sapien Labs,commented;
Many under 35’s are merely enduring life with 41% 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
The reasons behind Tanzania’s stronger figures on youth mental well-being, can be linked to several factors including the country’s minimal ultra-processed food sales, less exposure to plastic – Tanzania has banned single use plastic, as well as less exposure to industrial toxins – the economy is more focused on tourism and agriculture. The other major factor benefitting Tanzania’s youth is less exposure to smart phones from a young age and less time spent on phones – which could be the result of weaker internet coverage across the country. The other strong factor helping Tanzania’s youth be more mentally resilient is that the country has a more socially, collective culture with a greater emphasis on family bonds and friendships.
Tara Thiagarajan, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientist at Sapien Labs,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".
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.
Tara 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 cognitive ability to cope”.
She went on to say, “For Tanzania, 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. The task for Tanzania is how to manage its economic growth without compromising further the mind health of the population. The country needs to be being strategic by focusing on policies to regulate ultra-processed food and plastics and policies around smartphones for children should also be implemented. Schools also play a huge role in protecting the mental health and well-being of youth and the government should work closely with the education sector on mitigating potential future damage as the country becomes more urbanized”.
Work in Tanzania
Sapien Labs' Center for Research of Brain and Mind (CEREBRAM) housed at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) runs the largest ongoing human brain study in Africa. Combining brain physiology measured with Electroencephalography (EEG) with assessment of mind health and environmental factors, CEREBRAM has collected data on over 5000 people across a wide diversity of Tanzania's tribes, populations and geographies to shed light on the environmental impacts on brain and mind.
For more information about Sapien Labs and its initiatives, please contact
Agarther Gichaga
Tell-em PR
agarther.gichaga@tell-em-pr.com
+254 722 586 882
ABOUT SAPIEN LABS
Founded in 2016, Sapien Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding and enabling the human mind. Through large-scale, real-time global data collection, Sapien Labs explores the impact of modern life on brain and mental health. Its research provides valuable insights and tools for schools, organizations, and governments, helping to shape policies and interventions that promote mental well-being worldwide. Website: https://sapienlabs.org
ABOUT MENTAL STATE OF THE WORLD 2024
The Mental State of the World Report is an annual publication by Sapien Labs’ Global Mind Project that examines the shifting landscape of mental well-being among internet-enabled populations worldwide. Each edition analyzes the mental health trends of the past year, comparing them to previous years while identifying key factors influencing these changes. Throughout the year, additional Rapid Reports provide deeper insights into specific aspects of mental well-being.
As the world’s largest and most comprehensive ongoing global survey of mental health, the Global Mind Project uses the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) to collect data across diverse populations. This initiative tracks mental well-being alongside sociocultural, lifestyle, and technological factors in multiple countries, offering a data-driven understanding of dominant trends and their underlying causes.
For more information about Sapien Labs and its initiatives, please contact
Agarther Gichaga
Tell-em PR
agarther.gichaga@tell-em-pr.com
+254 722 586 882
ABOUT SAPIEN LABS
Founded in 2016, Sapien Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding and enabling the human mind. Through large-scale, real-time global data collection, Sapien Labs explores the impact of modern life on brain and mental health. Its research provides valuable insights and tools for schools, organizations, and governments, helping to shape policies and interventions that promote mental well-being worldwide. Website: https://sapienlabs.org
ABOUT MENTAL STATE OF THE WORLD 2024
The Mental State of the World Report is an annual publication by Sapien Labs’ Global Mind Project that examines the shifting landscape of mental well-being among internet-enabled populations worldwide. Each edition analyzes the mental health trends of the past year, comparing them to previous years while identifying key factors influencing these changes. Throughout the year, additional Rapid Reports provide deeper insights into specific aspects of mental well-being.
As the world’s largest and most comprehensive ongoing global survey of mental health, the Global Mind Project uses the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) to collect data across diverse populations. This initiative tracks mental well-being alongside sociocultural, lifestyle, and technological factors in multiple countries, offering a data-driven understanding of dominant trends and their underlying causes.
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