# Help me unpack this : The world is getting happier but The world is also getting more Mental Health Conditions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 9, 2022, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-unpack-this-the-world-is-getting-happier-but-the-world-is-also-getting-more-mental-health-conditions/969389 "2022-08-09T23:09:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-unpack-this-the-world-is-getting-happier-but-the-world-is-also-getting-more-mental-health-conditions/969389/1 "2022-08-09T23:09:50Z")
Quote 1: “The World As A Whole Is Getting Happier” Quote 2 : “Mental health conditions are increasing worldwide. Mainly because of demographic changes, there has been a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade” Sources 1. [The World As A Whole Is Getting Happier – OpEd – Eurasia Review](https://www.eurasiareview.com/05022020-the-world-as-a-whole-is-getting-happier-oped/) 2. [Mental health](https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_2) How can the world as a whole be getting happier while getting more mentally sick ? What am I missing here ? ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-unpack-this-the-world-is-getting-happier-but-the-world-is-also-getting-more-mental-health-conditions/969389/2 "2022-08-09T23:17:18Z")
Changes in definitions and/or diagnostic criteria leading to more diagnosing of mental health conditions? People are supposedly “happier” because of substance use/abuse? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-unpack-this-the-world-is-getting-happier-but-the-world-is-also-getting-more-mental-health-conditions/969389/3 "2022-08-09T23:19:42Z")
Two different groups with no association with each other have two different opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-unpack-this-the-world-is-getting-happier-but-the-world-is-also-getting-more-mental-health-conditions/969389/4 "2022-08-09T23:24:26Z")
Just because you’re mentally ill doesn’t mean you’re unhappy. Someone with autism, for example, might be living a completely fulfilled and independent life. Likewise, just because you’ve been _diagnosed_ as mentally ill doesn’t mean that you’re _currently_ mentally ill. E.g., you might be receiving proper care and intervention to make the illness not matter. And mental illness could be better than, say, watching your children die. A world where the big medical issue is mental is better than the world back when the medical issues were physical. You have a mental illness because you’re not dead, being burned as a witch, etc. As countries transition to better health care systems, safer modes of transportation, healthier ways of living, etc. we’re all more physically healthy and feeling secure in our livelihood. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-unpack-this-the-world-is-getting-happier-but-the-world-is-also-getting-more-mental-health-conditions/969389/5 "2022-08-09T23:26:14Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > How can the world as a whole be getting happier while getting more mentally sick ? The underlying level of mental illness is unchanged. More people are being diagnosed and correctly treated. They are happy about it. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-unpack-this-the-world-is-getting-happier-but-the-world-is-also-getting-more-mental-health-conditions/969389/6 "2022-08-10T02:13:08Z")
obviously happiness is a psychiatric condition ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-unpack-this-the-world-is-getting-happier-but-the-world-is-also-getting-more-mental-health-conditions/969389/7 "2022-08-10T02:15:40Z")
Particularly if you are deliriously happy.