A report by Gallup's Global Emotional Report 2022, released on Tuesday, indicated that feelings of stress, sadness, anger, anxiety, and physical pain experienced by individuals on a daily basis have reached a historic high in public opinion measurements conducted by Gallup since 2006. This signifies a rising "global unhappiness rate."
The ranking of the ten countries most affected by negative emotions is as follows: Afghanistan, followed by Lebanon, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Jordan, Turkey, then Bangladesh, Ecuador, Guinea, and finally Benin. Conversely, the ten countries least affected by negative experiences are: Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, Russia, South Africa, then Lithuania, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, followed by Mauritius, Kosovo, Taiwan, and Kazakhstan.
John Clifton, the CEO of Gallup, stated that this record number of negative emotions may not be surprising considering the world is suffering from the Russia-Ukraine war, economic inflation, and the COVID-19 pandemic—each of which alone could render the world worse. However, the global rise in misery began long before these global crises, starting over a decade ago.
**Why is Lebanon at the Forefront?**
Commenting on this report, sociology expert and university professor Wadia Al-Amioni told Sky News Arabia that "misery has increased globally for various reasons, primarily due to economic crises worldwide."
Al-Amioni explained the contributing factors to feelings of unhappiness, citing "long-standing capitalist systems that require reevaluation and the need to establish new, fairer economic systems, especially in Lebanon. Economic pressure, which leads to a lack of security, political crises, and corrupt governance systems have contributed to the expansion of misery. The biological-psychological factor due to the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals' mental health."
She stated, "Citizens are experiencing significant turmoil, becoming increasingly unhappy, reaching the point of isolation and a reluctance to engage with society, culminating in feelings of social isolation."
She further noted, "In addition to all these reasons, there is economic deterioration, health instability, and the failure of political leaders to govern, along with the loss of national social security, both globally and in Lebanon, which has led to feelings of unhappiness."
In conclusion, she remarked to Sky News Arabia, "I am not surprised that Lebanon ranks high in this report as it faces crises at all levels—health, security, and economic. All these combined reasons have made the Lebanese among the most miserable societies globally."
**Major Factors of Unhappiness**
The report measured negative emotions by asking: Did you experience any of the following hardships most of yesterday: physical pain, anxiety, sadness, stress, and anger? According to the report, it is clear that:
- Anxiety was reported at a rate of 42%
- Stress was slightly lower at 41%
- Physical pain amounted to 31%, or about one-third of the survey sample
- Feelings of sadness were at 28%
- Feelings of anger were at 23%
