Israel Remains Among Top 10 Happiest Countries In The World Despite War, Afghanistan Ranks Last

What we hear from the people of Colorado is that they need more robust, easily accessible behavioral health services,

Colorado Behavioral Health Administration Commissioner Dannette R. Smith said via email

Happiness doesn’t have to be an extravagant high you’re riding all the time,

Vanlandingham said

When you give you get out of your head and out of your problems and you realize there are things outside of you, bigger than you and your problems don’t seem so impactful,

Vanlandingham said

Like ‘mercy’ in Shakespeare’s 'Merchant of Venice,' caring is 'twice-blessed' — it blesses those who give and those who receive,

the report states

They do not necessarily have the high-income GDP per capita and the redistribution through the welfare state. What they do have … (are) very strong family ties, so their immediate community is very strong,

said the economics professor at the University of Oxford

Social connections significantly influence our happiness. This is especially so among youths who report higher anxiety and lower satisfaction levels in reduced social networks,

the research associate said

This suggests that perhaps some form of robust social cohesion, social support, can significantly enhance happiness, even with lower baseline GDP levels,

he told CNA's Singapore Tonight programme

We do see studies consistently linking pro-social behaviours such as … donating to a cause, volunteering, helping a stranger … these improve mental health, reduce anxiety, and increase life satisfaction,

he said

The number of people dining alone in the United States has increased 53 percent over the past two decades,

the authors said, noting

In Mexico and Europe, a household size of four to five predicts the highest levels of happiness,

the study noted

The extent to which you share meals is predictive of the social support you have, the pro-social behaviors you exhibit and the trust you have in others,

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, a University of Oxford professor and an author of the report, said in an interview

The fact that we’re increasingly socially isolated means also that we’re not testing our ideas about the world with other people,

he said

Dining alone is not good for your wellbeing. People who eat frequently with others are a lot happier and this effect holds even taking into account household size. The increasing number of people who eat alone is one reason for declining wellbeing in the United States."

World Happiness Report noted

I think there are many factors contributing to this. Through the lens of a relationship therapist, I am struck by the idea that kindness and respect no longer seem to be core values for many, and there has been a shift of focus away from being connected toward being right and trying to feel superior to others. I think this is leading to ruptured relationships and feelings of disconnection and loneliness."

Washington, D.C.-based clinical therapist Melinda McGarvey told Newsweek

The decline in the U.S. in 2024 was at least partly attributable to Americans younger than age 30 feeling worse about their lives. Today's young people report feeling less supported by friends and family, less free to make life choices and less optimistic about their living standards."

Gallup Managing Director Ilana Ron Levey told CNN

One factor that can undermine happiness involves concerns about the economy and about your ability to afford the basics that allow you to live comfortably. If the cost of living is high, happiness can suffer."

Alisha Ali, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University, told Newsweek

As the country feels more volatile economically and politically - and as the divides between people grow - unhappiness can grow as well."

She told Newsweek

Contempt seems to have become a celebrated norm in communication, especially in memes that are meant to be funny, but that disparage people with different points of view. It does not make them feel stupid, it makes them dig in and deepen the divide, which intensifies the negative feelings and fuels the cycle of disconnection, loneliness and unhappiness."

She added

Happiness isn't just about wealth or growth — it's about trust, connection and knowing people have your back,

Jon Clifton, the CEO of Gallup, said in a statement

The country-wide evolution of happiness and trust is highly associated with the rise in the likelihood of voting for anti-system parties in Western Europe and the United States,

the authors wrote