By Abiola Olawale
The 2025 Global Mind Health Report has revealed that young adults in Sub-Saharan Africa are exhibiting the highest levels of mental resilience worldwide.
While the rest of the globe grapples with a burgeoning “mind health crisis,” Ghana and Nigeria have emerged at the top of the rankings, followed closely by Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania.
The report, released by Sapien Labs as part of the Global Mind Project, analyzed data from nearly one million internet-enabled respondents across 84 countries. It highlights a stark “generational divide,” where 41% of young adults (ages 18–34) globally are now struggling with serious psychological distress.
According to the findings, the top five positions for youth mental well-being are occupied entirely by African nations. The Mind Health Quotient (MHQ)—a composite score measuring 47 dimensions of emotional, social, and cognitive function—placed these nations far ahead of high-income Western counterparts
The report showed that 41 percent of internet-enabled young adults aged 18 to 34 across 84 countries are experiencing what researchers described as a “mental health crisis.”
The rankings were derived from the Mind Health Quotient, a composite score measuring 47 dimensions of emotional, social, cognitive, and physical functioning required to navigate work, relationships, and daily life effectively.
In the case of Nigeria, young adults aged 18-34 in Nigeria have a Mind Health Quotient, MHQ, of 64 which puts them at a rank of 2 out of 84 countries. Also, older adults ranked at 10 compared to their global counterparts but with a higher MHQ score of 113.
Overall, Nigeria was one of the highest-rated countries in terms of its MHQ scores. Those aged 18-24 rated 66th for a younger age of smartphone use in childhood (16 years) (or a higher percentage of childhood on a smartphone). Both age groups ranked in the bottom third for regular Ultra-Processed Foods, UPF, consumption (a rank of 57 for those 18-34 and of 59 for those 55+).
The ranking for family closeness dropped from a rank of 15 for those 55+ (80 per cent) to a rank of 41 for those 18-34 (61 per cent). Both age groups scored high in spirituality with a rank of 13 for those 18-34 and of 7 for those 55 and above.
Researchers said the findings revealed a sharp generational reversal. In the early 2000s, young adults were considered the healthiest age group mentally. Today, they are four times more likely than adults over 55 to experience clinical-level mental health challenges that significantly impair productivity and quality of life.
According to the founder and chief scientist of Sapien Labs and lead author of the report, Tara Thiagarajan said: “The mind health crisis appears to be a progressive slide from generation to generation and goes far beyond rising rates of depression and anxiety. Alongside depression and anxiety, many young adults are struggling with emotional control, relationships, and focus.”
The report identified four primary drivers behind the global decline: early smartphone adoption in childhood, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, weakened family bonds, and diminished spirituality.
Among 18- to 24-year-olds, the younger the age at which they received their first smartphone, the greater their likelihood of experiencing adult mental health struggles. Ultra-processed foods were estimated to account for between 15 and 30 percent of the mental health burden after controlling for other factors. Individuals with poor family relationships were almost four times more likely to fall into distressed or struggling categories compared to those with strong family ties.
Spirituality emerged as a powerful protective factor. Young adults who reported a strong sense of connection to a higher power scored at least 20 points higher on the Mind Health Quotient than those with low spirituality ratings. Tanzania ranked highest globally on measures of spirituality and also recorded one of the oldest average ages for smartphone adoption.
The study also suggests a possible inverse relationship between national wealth and youth mental health outcomes, with sub-Saharan African countries outperforming many wealthier economies across key indicators. However, researchers cautioned that despite their strong global ranking, African youth still scored lower than older generations within their own countries, reflecting a universal generational gap.
The widening divide between young and older adults began before 2020 and intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when youth mental health declined sharply while older populations experienced only modest drops. Over the past five years, the gap has remained largely unchanged.
“In the U.S., spending on mental health research and care has risen dramatically, by billions of dollars, as it has across Western countries. And while important, it’s not moving the needle,” Thiagarajan said. “We need to begin tackling the broader problems that erode the productivity and well-being of young adults around the world.”
