Overview

• The PLOS One analysis by David G. Blanchflower and colleagues concludes the long-reported midlife peak in ill-being has disappeared in the U.S., U.K. and across 44 countries.
• Findings rest on large datasets: over 10 million U.S. CDC responses from 1993–2024, UKHLS data from 2009–2023, and nearly 2 million Global Minds respondents from 2020–2025.
• The shift is attributed to worsening mental health among younger people, while levels in midlife show little change compared with past patterns.
• The new age pattern is strongest in high-income English-speaking countries and weaker in regions with low internet access, with Tanzanian data showing happier youth without internet than those with it.
• Authors do not identify a cause, noting hypotheses such as Great Recession scarring, underfunded mental-health care, pandemic disruptions and social media, and they urge further research and policy action.