health
March 11, 2026
Young Africans score higher than Americans on 'mind health,' new study finds: Wealth ‘not an indicator’ of well-being
A new Sapien Labs study found that young people in Ghana and Nigeria are much more able to function than those in the U.S.
TL;DR
- Young people in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya score higher on 'mind health' than those in the U.S., according to a Sapien Labs study.
- Mind health is measured by cognitive, emotional, and physical abilities, with scores on a scale of -100 to 200.
- Ghanaian youth scored 69, while U.S. youth scored 36 on the mind health quotient (MHQ).
- Key contributors to higher mind health include strong family bonds, spirituality, delayed smartphone access, and lower consumption of ultra-processed foods.
- U.S. culture's individualism, long working hours, earlier smartphone adoption (average age under 13), and high intake of ultra-processed foods are seen as detrimental.
- Recommendations for improvement include school phone bans, FDA regulation of food chemicals, and parents prioritizing connected family bonds and mindful technology use.
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