Declining Youth Well-being in 167 UN Countries. Does Survey Mode, or Question Matter?

I find evidence from 167/193 UN member countries that the young have lower levels of well-being than older age groups, using self-reported data collected on the internet from the Global Minds internet-based surveys of 2020-2024 using their MHQ measure. We found that the evidence on the mental health of the young was different when self-reported, internet-based responses were used compared with those obtained via an interviewer, either face-to-face or via the telephone. Our analysis of the United States using 14 surveys taken using all three methods always found the young had the lowest well-being of any age group. The evidence for relatively low youth well-being on we collected using four major European surveys was stronger in internet-based surveys and when negative affect variables rather than life satisfaction and happiness were used. The young were significantly more lonely and more unhappy than all other age group, in 26/27 EU member countries in the internet-based EU Loneliness Survey of 2022. We also examined the Global Flourishing survey of 2022-2024 across 22 countries that used both telephone and web-based surveys and the results showed rising well-being in age, in the internet surveys and declining well-being in age in the telephone surveys. Mode of survey and question used matters. The young are experiencing a mental health crisis globally picked up especially in self-reports. This is new.