DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has been ranked fifth out of 84 countries worldwide in the latest global Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) survey among youth aged between 18 and 34 years.
The survey also places Tanzanian adults aged above 55 years at position 19 globally, underscoring the country’s relatively strong mental wellbeing performance across generations.
According to the MHQ report released yesterday in Dar es Salaam, both age groups performed strongly in family closeness indicators.
Young adults aged 18–34 ranked 14th globally, while older adults aged above 55 secured an impressive seventh position. The MHQ is an anonymous online survey that takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
It evaluates 47 aspects of mental function across cognitive, emotional, social, behavioural and physical domains using a lifeimpact scale.
The findings form part of the Global Mind Health Project conducted by Sapien Labs, the world’s largest ongoing survey of mental wellbeing.
The initiative tracks how social, technological and cultural shifts are influencing mental health outcomes worldwide.
The study draws on data collected through online surveys conducted across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
“The mind health crisis appears to be a progressive slide from generation to generation and goes far beyond rising rates of depression and anxiety,” said Dr Tara Thiagarajan, lead author of the report and Founder and Chief Scientist of Sapien Labs.
“We assessed a wide range of capacities essential for navigating life’s challenges and found that many young adults are struggling. Alongside depression and anxiety, they often experience challenges in emotional regulation, relationship management and their ability to focus,” she said.
While the study highlights a worrying global decline in mental health among younger generations, it also reveals marked regional differences.
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Young adults in sub-Saharan Africa consistently outperform their counterparts in higher-income regions, including North America, Europe and parts of Asia.
Ghana emerged as the top-ranked country globally, followed by Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Tanzania, making the top five entirely African nations.
The report notes that in the early 2000s, young adults recorded the highest levels of wellbeing across all age groups. However, the trend has since reversed
Today, young adults are four times more likely than those aged above 55 to experience clinically significant mental health challenges that substantially affect daily functioning.
A fresh analysis of responses from nearly one million participants across 84 countries highlights notable regional contrasts, with several African countries leading global rankings in youth mental health outcomes.
According to the report, the generational shift is linked to several interconnected factors, including early exposure to smartphones during childhood, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, weakening family bonds and declining spirituality.
Countries were assessed and ranked across these dimensions. The strong showing by several African nations suggests the presence of protective social and cultural factors.
Young adults in parts of sub-Saharan Africa reported the highest levels of spirituality globally, later adoption of smartphones during childhood and stronger family bonds compared to their peers in wealthier regions.