We hear a lot about America’s mental-health crisis, and the crisis is real. But part of the problem is that we talk about it too much.
In an attempt to bring more attention to the issue, we’re becoming a nation that increasingly defines itself as mentally fragile and unwell. Instead of asking Americans to turn inward, fixating on their own thoughts and feelings, it’d be better to encourage them to turn outward and engage with the world.
It’s true that by many indicators, American mental health is in decline. Anxiety, for one, has been steadily increasing for more than a decade, especially among younger generations. Around one-third of U.S. adults and half of those under 30 report feeling anxious all or most of the time.
Continue reading at The Wall Street Journal.
Clay Routledge, PhD, is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Archbridge Institute, where he also leads the institute’s Human Flourishing Lab. As a thought leader in existential psychology and human motivation, Clay translates research into practical insights that help people reach their full potential, build meaningful lives, and advance human progress and flourishing. Dr. Routledge received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is co-editor of Profectus Magazine, an online publication dedicated to human progress and flourishing. He writes the weekly newsletter "Flourishing Friday."
Psychology of Flourishing
We hear a lot about America’s mental-health crisis, and the crisis is real. But part of the problem is that we talk about it too much.
In an attempt to bring more attention to the issue, we’re becoming a nation that increasingly defines itself as mentally fragile and unwell. Instead of asking Americans to turn inward, fixating on their own thoughts and feelings, it’d be better to encourage them to turn outward and engage with the world.
It’s true that by many indicators, American mental health is in decline. Anxiety, for one, has been steadily increasing for more than a decade, especially among younger generations. Around one-third of U.S. adults and half of those under 30 report feeling anxious all or most of the time.
Continue reading at The Wall Street Journal.
Clay Routledge
Clay Routledge, PhD, is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Archbridge Institute, where he also leads the institute’s Human Flourishing Lab. As a thought leader in existential psychology and human motivation, Clay translates research into practical insights that help people reach their full potential, build meaningful lives, and advance human progress and flourishing. Dr. Routledge received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is co-editor of Profectus Magazine, an online publication dedicated to human progress and flourishing. He writes the weekly newsletter "Flourishing Friday."
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