Close to 40 per cent of young people aged 18 to 24 in the Middle East struggled with their mental health last year, a global study has found.
The Mental State of the World Report ascribed the worrying trend to the Covid-19 pandemic with its repeated lockdowns, study at home and long spells of enforced isolation.
But it also said the surge in mobile phone and internet use meant people spend less time making human connections, a trend the study’s authors believe needs “immediate attention”.
Researchers polled 223,087 people in 34 countries with widespread internet access. The results were published by Sapien Labs, a US non-profit.
It measured mental health in people of all ages but found the global deterioration in the youngest adults to be of most concern.
“The results, quite honestly, surprised us,” said Tara Thiagarajan of Sapien Labs and Jennifer Newson, the lead scientist for the report.
“The reasons behind this decline are likely numerous and complex but add to the ongoing debate around the consequences of growing up in an internet-dominated and inequitable world.”
Among young adults, defined as those aged 18 to 24, polled, half in the Anglosphere – US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand – reported struggling or distress. The figure was 38 per cent for the Middle Eastern countries surveyed – Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen.
Statistics published in the report showed people spend an average of seven to 10 hours online per day, depending on the country.
“It is perhaps not the use of the mobile phone and internet per se that has been damaging but rather that it occupies such a large fraction of waking time that it crowds out time that previously would have been spent on the in-person social interactions that are required to build and maintain a strong social self,” the report said.
Among those aged 65 and over, nine per cent of people in the Middle East reported they were struggling or distressed.
In general, 30 per cent of those polled in the Anglosphere had mental wellbeing scores in this category compared with 23 per cent in the Middle East and 18 per cent in Europe.
Mental wellbeing increased with higher levels of education for all regions of the world. There was also a substantially greater mental wellbeing among those who were employed than in people who were unemployed or not able to work.
The mental health wellbeing gap between older and younger generations was more profound (30 per cent) than that of any other criterion studied, such as education, employment, location or sex, and the report said this warrants urgent attention.
This was exacerbated by Covid-19 and stands in “stark contrast to the happiness and wellbeing patterns documented prior to 2010 across several regions of the world, where young adults 18 to 24 typically had the highest wellbeing”.
School principals in the UAE said encouraging young pupils not to brush mental illness under the carpet was crucial.
“Be honest about how you’re feeling and seek help,” said Clare Turnbull, principal at The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai.
She said pupils needed to be taught to have the grit and determination to know what to do for themselves, to allow themselves to relax and regenerate.
Teachers must be “unashamedly determined to prioritise the emotional wellbeing of young people alongside their academic and social development and have that as a central aim”.
David Cook, headmaster at Repton Dubai, in Nad Al Sheba, said promoting positive mental health should be viewed in the same way as promoting positive physical health.
“Ten or 15 years ago, nobody really talked about the fact that mental health is as important as physical health. I think the first thing that schools and families and society need to do is say it’s OK to talk about it.”
He said schools needed to prepare young people to stand on their own feet.
“What we do in the 10 years before university is really important. And the question that schools are wrestling with is how do we actually promote positive mental health?” said Mr Cook.
“How do we teach young people it’s OK to fail at some things; or that life doesn’t always go well; or you don’t always get the job interview; [or] you don’t always feel great; [or you] don’t always get picked for the team.
“What we need to do is to make sure children understand that from really a young age, so that they know it’s OK to feel low or depressed.”
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
Western Clubs Champions League:
- Friday, Sep 8 - Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Bahrain
- Friday, Sep 15 – Kandy v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Friday, Sep 22 – Kandy v Bahrain
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
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