Continuous worsening of population emotional stress globally: universality and variations

Background: Understanding emotional stress stability in populations is crucial because stress is a key factor in causing depression, and it worsens well-being. Method: In this study, using repeated cross-sectional data from 149 countries from 2007 to 2021 (N = 2,450,043), we examined time trends of psychological stress in populations worldwide. Results: Over half of the population experienced emotional stress in 20 countries, and 85% of the countries reported worse psychological stress in 2020 compared with 2008. We found that psychological well-being declined most rapidly among young people compared with other age groups. Individuals living and working in all types of locations (rural/farm, town/village, large city, and suburban areas) and employment (full-time, self-employed, part-time, and unemployed), respectively, experienced continuously worsening emotional stress when comparing three time periods (2008–2011, 2012–2019, and 2020–2021). Furthermore, reducing physical pain and increasing income were noted to be more important than solving health problems for the purpose of decreasing stress. Conclusion: Emotional stress continuously worsened worldwide over the past few decades, but the trend varied among countries. Our findings highlight the significance of improving people’s living environments to reduce their likelihood of experiencing emotional stress.