Latest news with #TylerVanderWeele
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
UK ranked among the lowest in the ‘Global Flourishing Study'; know which country tops the list
Source: Harvard University A recent global study has shown that Britain ranks among the lowest nations when it comes to "human flourishing". This ranking, which raises concerns about the country's overall well-being, especially among young people, highlights several major factors that impact the quality of life. The research, or the Global Flourishing Study, was conducted in 22 countries across six continents. It sought to measure a variety of human well-being factors, such as happiness, health, economic security, relationships, and meaning in life. The UK placed 20th using a scale that aggregated all these factors, which is an indication of a key concern regarding the flourishing of the country. This large-scale survey used nationally representative samples to give a reflection of the experiences of close to half of the world's population. Initiated in 2022, the five-year project aims to collect data from more than 200,000 participants each year, creating an overall picture of what promotes or prevents human flourishing. UK's low flourishing rank unveils crisis in youth well-being Perhaps one of the more alarming discoveries of the study was the especially low well-being scores for young people in nations such as the UK, the US, and Australia. This result is counter to previous studies, which indicated that well-being is U-shaped across the life course, with the youngest and oldest age groups typically reporting higher satisfaction than middle-aged individuals. In the UK, 18- to 24-year-olds, for instance, reported relatively low levels of life satisfaction compared to the 25- to 29-year-olds, who in turn scored less than those above the age of 80. "The very youngest in the UK do seem to be particularly struggling," agrees Dr. Tim Lomas, a psychologist in the study, indicating the immediate need for greater focus on the welfare of this age group. Findings that defines the countries flourishing score The researchers set up a list of questions aimed at knowing about individuals' happiness, from youth and family bonds to education, religious observances, and being married. Then these data were evaluated to have the possible predictors of flourishing with the end product of a global score per nation. One of the most surprising findings was the ordering of the countries in terms of flourishing. Indonesia topped the list, followed by Israel, the Philippines, and Mexico. On the other hand, the UK, along with Turkey and Japan, occupied the lowest positions. The results of the Global Flourishing Study are in sharp contrast to the World Happiness Report, which annually puts the Nordic countries at the top. The UK would usually rank in the top quarter of the 100 nations covered in that report. This gap, as per Prof. Tyler VanderWeele, an epidemiologist at Harvard University and one of the driving forces behind the study, may be due to more affluent, developed countries excelling in domains such as financial security and life satisfaction but lagging behind in relations and meaning in life. The study found that in richer countries, especially with higher GDPs, people tend to report lower levels of meaning in life. List of countries that flourishes more Rank Country Flourishing Score 1 Indonesia 8.3 2 Israel 7.87 3 Philippines 7.71 4 Mexico 7.64 5 Poland 7.55 6 Brazil 7.52 7 Australia 7.47 8 South Africa 7.42 9 Argentina 7.35 10 Costa Rica 7.27 11 Colombia 7.22 12 United States 7.12 13 Canada 7.05 14 France 6.97 15 Italy 6.91 16 Spain 6.9 17 India 6.87 18 Turkey 6.32 19 Japan 5.89 20 United Kingdom 6.79 21 South Korea 6.77 22 Japan 5.89 Source: Harvard University Monitoring personal flourishing and global trends over time As data continues to be gathered in the study, researchers hope to see how human flourishing changes over time as a result of world events. Prof. VanderWeele encouraged people to use the 12-question survey about flourishing to review their own lives at intervals. Monitoring changes in their own life might provide useful information on what in life is getting better or worse. Though the findings are dramatic, Prof. Kate Pickett, an epidemiologist at the University of York, sounded a note of caution about the findings. She noted that self-report measures of well-being don't always match more objective measures of a country's health. For example, though Japan scores lowest on the flourishing scale, it has the highest life expectancy and lowest infant mortality rates among all the countries surveyed. Pickett also highlighted the potential pandemic effect on the data. 'I'm very surprised there's not a single mention of the Covid pandemic,' she said. The disruptions caused by the pandemic—such as lockdowns, social anxiety, and educational interruptions—could have had a particularly negative impact on the flourishing of young people, especially in the years leading up to the survey. Need for early support and tackling inequality to build thriving societies In response to the findings, Pickett referenced established literature highlighting the imperative of securing a good start in life for children, ensuring secure livelihoods, and addressing economic inequality as crucial factors in achieving thriving societies. Preventing worse and reducing inequality can improve populations' overall well-being, especially that of young people. The Global Flourishing Study highlights the imperative to give attention to the welfare of people in the UK and other developed countries, particularly young people. While economic success and life rating scores can be good in these countries, the survey indicates that human flourishing is far more nuanced, with meaning in life, relationships, and mental health being priority areas that need to improve dramatically. What is Global Flourishing score The main focus of the Global Flourishing Study is human flourishing, a concept with multiple dimensions. The study features 12 survey questions that assess six areas of flourishing, as identified in earlier research: Happiness and life satisfaction Physical and mental health Meaning and purpose Character and virtue Close social relationships Financial and material stability Participants' self-reported answers are used to calculate an index score ranging from zero to 10, where zero indicates no flourishing and 10 represents complete flourishing. A higher flourishing score indicates a greater level of overall well-being and life satisfaction across multiple domains. The score reflects a person's sense of happiness, physical and mental health, purpose, character, relationships, and financial stability. Conversely, a lower score (closer to 0) suggests that a person may be struggling with one or more of these dimensions, leading to a lower overall sense of flourishing.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
The countries where people 'flourish' the most, revealed: Indonesia and Israel top the list…while Britain is almost at the bottom of the rankings
A new study has revealed the countries where people 'flourish' the most – and it's bad news for Brits. Scientists from Harvard University surveyed more than 200,000 people from 22 countries about their health, happiness, meaning, character, relationships, financial security, and spiritual well-being. Together, these seven variables were defined as 'flourishing' by the researchers. The results revealed that people living in Indonesia are flourishing the most, followed by Israel, the Philippines, and Mexico. In contrast, the US ranked 12th on the list, while the UK ranked a dismal 20th out of 22. According to the researchers, the findings highlight the old adage that money isn't everything. 'Flourishing is multidimensional, and different countries are flourishing in different ways,' the team wrote in their study. 'While many developed nations report comparatively higher levels of financial security and life evaluation, these same nations are not flourishing in other ways, often reporting lower meaning, pro-sociality and relationship quality.' Several previous studies have set out to understand the happiest countries around the world - with Finland usually taking the top spot. However, until now, there has been little research into how people are flourishing. Writing in their study, published in Nature Mental Health, the team, led by Tyler VanderWeele, explained: 'The study is intended to expand our knowledge of the distribution and determinants of flourishing around the world.' The team enrolled 203,000 people in 22 countries spanning all six populated continents. According to the experts, this represents about 64 per cent of the world's population. The participants were surveyed across the seven variables, as well as demographic data such as age, sex, marital and employment status, education, health, religion, and personal history. The results revealed that Indonesia topped the list, with a flourish score of 8.3. This was followed by Israel (7.87), the Phillipines (7.71), Mexico (7.64), and Poland (7.55). While Indonesia is not the wealthiest country, it ranked highly in measures of relationships and pro-social character traits, which foster social connections and community. At the other end of the scale, Japan was found to be the country where people flourish the least, with a dismal score of 5.89. This was followed by Turkey (6.32), the UK (6.79), India (6.87) and Spain (6.9). Japan is wealthier and its people live longer, however respondents there were the least likely to answer 'yes' to a question asking whether they had an intimate friend. Brendan Case, associate director for research at the Human Flourishing Program and an author of the study, explained: 'We're not here to say those outcomes [wealth, longer lifespans] don't matter a lot, or that we shouldn't care about democracy, we shouldn't care about economic growth, we shouldn't care about public health. 'But it's interesting to consider that the Global Flourishing Study raises some important questions about the potential tradeoffs involved in that process.' The results also uncovered a link between age and flourishing - with older participants scoring more highly than younger respondents. 'On average, when pooled across the 22 countries, flourishing is essentially flat with age through ages 18–49 and then increases with age thereafter,' the researchers explained. 'This is in striking contrast to earlier work—focused mostly on life satisfaction/evaluation—which had suggested a more dramatically U-shaped pattern with age.' The findings raise important questions for the future progress of society, according to the researchers. 'Are we sufficiently investing in the future given the notable flourishing-age gradient with the youngest groups often faring the most poorly?' they asked. 'Can we carry out economic development in ways that do not compromise meaning and purpose and relationships and character, given that many economically developed nations are not faring as well on these measures? 'With economic development and secularization, have we sometimes been neglecting, or even suppressing, powerful spiritual pathways to flourishing? 'If society is to ultimately flourish these questions of age, and of development, and of spiritual dynamics need to be taken into consideration.' BEING GENEROUS 'REALLY DOES MAKE YOU HAPPY', STUDY FINDS Being generous really does make people happier, according to research in 2017 from an international team of experts. Neurons in an area of the brain associated with generosity activate neurons in the ventral striatum, which are associated with happiness, the study found. A group of 50 volunteers in Switzerland took part in a spending experiment, with each given 25 Swiss Francs (£20/$25) per week for four weeks. As part of the experiment, participants performed an independent decision-making task, in which they could behave more or less generously while brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They were asked to choose to give between three and 25 francs of their money as a present to a recipient different from those previously chosen. The researchers found that participants who had committed to spending their endowment on others behaved more generously in the decision-making task. They also discovered greater self-reported increases in happiness as compared to the control group.
Arab Times
30-04-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
UK ranks among the lowest in global human flourishing index, study finds
LONDON, April 30: Britain ranks near the bottom globally for 'human flourishing,' according to a major international study that raises concerns about national well-being — particularly among younger generations. The Global Flourishing Study, which surveyed people in 22 countries across six continents, placed the UK 20th based on a composite score assessing happiness, health, financial security, personal relationships, and sense of purpose. Only Turkey and Japan ranked lower. Launched in 2022, the five-year research project draws on nationally representative samples and aims to survey more than 200,000 people annually. It seeks to create a comprehensive picture of what supports or hinders well-being worldwide. The initial findings, published in Nature Mental Health, are based on 12 core questions on flourishing, supplemented by detailed inquiries into participants' life histories, including childhood, education, family relationships, religious practice, and marital status. Researchers then developed a score from one to 10 to reflect each nation's overall level of flourishing. 'One of the big surprises from the data is the country rankings,' said Professor Tyler VanderWeele, an epidemiologist at Harvard University who helped lead the study. Indonesia topped the list, followed by Israel, the Philippines, and Mexico. These results diverge significantly from the widely cited World Happiness Report, which often ranks Nordic countries highest and places the UK in the top quarter of more than 100 nations. VanderWeele suggested the difference may stem from richer countries scoring high on financial metrics but lower on social connection and purpose. Notably, the study found that people in high-GDP countries were less likely to report a strong sense of meaning in life. The survey also examined religion's role in well-being and found that attending religious services during childhood was associated with higher flourishing in adulthood. However, researchers cautioned that this finding was correlational, not causal. The study was co-funded by the John Templeton Foundation, which supports research at the intersection of science and religion. One of the more concerning findings was the lower flourishing levels reported by young people in the UK, the US, and Australia. This contradicts earlier research showing a U-shaped well-being curve, where younger and older adults typically report higher life satisfaction than those in middle age. In the UK, those aged 18 to 24 reported significantly lower life satisfaction than older groups, including those over 80, said Dr. Tim Lomas, a psychologist involved in the research. 'The very youngest in the UK do seem to be particularly struggling,' he noted. Researchers hope that as the dataset grows over the coming years, it will reveal how major global events influence wellbeing. VanderWeele added that individuals can use the 12-question framework to self-assess their flourishing. 'I try to do this at least quarterly,' he said. 'Over time, you can track what's improving, what's stable, and what's declining.' However, some experts urged caution in interpreting the results. Professor Kate Pickett, an epidemiologist at the University of York, noted that self-reported well-being does not always align with objective health indicators. For example, Japan — ranked last in the study — boasts the highest life expectancy and lowest infant mortality rate among the 22 countries surveyed. Pickett also highlighted a potential pandemic-related impact on the findings. 'I'm very surprised there's no mention of the COVID-19 pandemic,' she said. 'Young people would have experienced significant disruptions—lockdowns, anxiety, interruptions to education and social life—at a particularly sensitive stage, which could have long-term effects on their ability to flourish.' She added that existing research already underscores the importance of investing in early childhood, securing livelihoods, focusing on prevention, and reducing economic inequality as essential steps to promote wellbeing.
Euronews
30-04-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Indonesians are flourishing. People in the UK, Germany, and Spain? Not so much, global survey finds
ADVERTISEMENT Wealth isn't the only key to happiness and well-being, according to a new global survey that aimed to pinpoint exactly what it means to flourish in all parts of life. Called the Global Flourishing Study , the survey asked about people's physical health, happiness, sense of meaning, character, relationships, financial security, and spiritual well-being – factors the researchers said make up a holistic measure of flourishing. It included more than 200,000 people in 22 countries spanning six continents, making it one of the world's largest well-being surveys. In Europe, the countries included were Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Everything considered, Indonesia had the highest flourishing score, followed by Israel and the Philippines. Japan landed at the bottom of the list, with Turkey and the United Kingdom rounding out the bottom three. Related Finland named world's happiest country for 8th year in a row with top 5 countries all in Europe 'The ordering of these countries was not necessarily what we had anticipated,' Tyler VanderWeele, one of the study's authors and a researcher at Harvard University in the United States, said during a press briefing. 'While the richer, developed countries do report higher on things like financial security and also life evaluation… they don't report as high on meaning, on relationships, on pro-social character,' he added. A chart shows the flourishing score by country. The findings appear to contradict the annual World Happiness Report; European countries tend to dominate the top slots. Sweden, for example, is fourth in the happiness report but in the middle of the pack in the new flourishing analysis, between the US and South Africa. VanderWeele said that could be because the flourishing report is more comprehensive, whereas the happiness study is based on how people evaluate their lives. 'Once you take these other aspects of well-being into account, the list really does look different,' he said. The researchers noted that it can be difficult to directly compare countries on surveys because of language and cultural differences that shape how people respond to questionnaires. Related 'A big green hug': In Belgium, forests of bluebells are offering an antidote to stressful times But some big-picture patterns did emerge, but with exceptions. For example, married people and those who were highly educated tended to report higher levels of well-being. But in India and Tanzania, single people were better off, and in Hong Kong and Australia, less educated people were more likely to be flourishing. People who were part of religious communities also reported higher well-being, the study found. Even having attended religious services during childhood helped predict whether someone flourished as an adult. 'Young people are not doing well' Age also seemed to play a major role in how people fared, though the trends differed by country. In Australia, Brazil, and the US, flourishing increased with age, but it fell with age in Poland and Tanzania. ADVERTISEMENT Related People tend to get lonelier as they age, but it's worse for seniors in these European countries Other countries, including Japan and Kenya, had a U-shaped pattern, where well-being started high, fell, and then rose again throughout people's lifetimes. But when the researchers looked at all 200,000 people together, they found that flourishing was essentially flat for people ages 18 to 49, with well-being only rising later in life. That could be a warning sign that young people are not doing as well as previous generations were at their age, the study authors said, citing mental health problems as a potential culprit. Related UK was named unhappiest country for children in 2024. Are youth in the rest of Europe any happier? They said it is not clear whether the 'troubling' global trend is because young people tend to start off lower on the flourishing scale and then see their lives improve with age, or if it's simply harder to be a young person today than in the past. ADVERTISEMENT But they plan to follow the same people over several years, so they may be able to find out. 'In many countries, young people are not doing well,' VanderWeele said. 'I think this is a real concern… We need to pay attention to this'.
The Guardian
30-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
UK among lowest-ranked countries for ‘human flourishing' in wellbeing study
Britain ranks among the poorest countries for 'human flourishing', according to a major study that raises questions about the nation's wellbeing and younger people in particular. The survey, which spanned 22 countries on six continents, rated the UK 20th based on a combined score that considered a range of factors from happiness, health and financial security to relationships and meaning in life. The Global Flourishing Study drew on nationally representative samples to reflect the experiences of nearly half the world's population. The five-year project launched in 2022 with the aim of quizzing more than 200,000 participants annually and building a detailed picture of what helps and hinders human flourishing. In a flurry of papers released on Wednesday, researchers outlined key findings from the survey, which posed a dozen questions on flourishing, and many more about people's past and present lives. The latter included questions on childhood and family relationships, education, religious practice and marital status. Armed with the data, the researchers identified tentative predictors for human flourishing and produced a score that aims to give an overall sense of how well individual nations are doing, on a scale from one to 10. 'One of the big surprises from the data … is the ordering of the countries,' said Prof Tyler VanderWeele, an epidemiologist at Harvard University. The analysis in Nature Mental Health ranks Indonesia first, followed by Israel, the Philippines and Mexico. The UK, Turkey and Japan take the bottom three spots. The findings contrast sharply with the World Happiness Report, which is regularly topped by Nordic countries and ranks the UK in the top quarter of 100 countries surveyed. According to VanderWeele, the disparity might be driven by richer, more developed countries scoring well on financial security and measures such as 'life evaluation', but worse on relationships and a sense of meaning in life. The survey found, for example, that scores for finding meaning in life tended to be lower in countries with a higher GDP. Part of the survey focused on religion and found that attending religious services in childhood predicted greater flourishing as an adult, though the study cannot prove a causal link. The survey was co-funded by the John Templeton Foundation, which has long been interested in the intersection of science and religion. One of the more troubling findings, the researchers said, was that young people in countries such as the UK, the US and Australia seemed to be flourishing the least. Again, this counters previous work that shows a U-shaped relationship between wellbeing and age, with the young and old faring better than those in middle age. In the UK, 18- to 24-year-olds scored 'markedly lower' on life satisfaction than 25- to 29-year-olds, who in turn scored lower than the over-80s, said Dr Tim Lomas, a psychologist on the study. 'The very youngest in the UK do seem to be particularly struggling,' he said. As more data is gathered, researchers hope to see how flourishing varies as world events unfold. But VanderWeele said people could use the 12-question flourishing survey to assess the state of their own lives. 'I try to do this at least quarterly,' he said. 'Over time, you can see what's improving, what's staying the same, and what may be getting worse.' Prof Kate Pickett, an epidemiologist at the University of York, was cautious about some of the findings. One reason was that self-reported measures of wellbeing did not always reflect objective measures of a nation's health. Japan, which ranked lowest of the 22 countries, had a longer life expectancy and lower infant mortality than any of the others, she said. Pickett also suspects a pandemic effect. 'I'm very surprised there's not a single mention of the Covid pandemic,' she said. 'We know that in the two years prior to the survey, young people would have experienced all the negative impacts of that – lockdowns, anxiety, disruptions to education, training, social relationships and so on – at perhaps a more critical juncture than older adults, with lasting impact for all aspects of their flourishing.' 'We already know from a very large and robust body of evidence that we need to give children a good start in life, give people secure livelihoods, focus on prevention, and reduce economic inequality,' she added.
