A recent Gallup poll assessed the happiness of individuals residing in different countries and the results were published in The World Happiness Report. (https://worldhappiness.report/) For the third straight year in a row, the happiness of individuals residing in the United States declined. We are now ranked on the list at #19 of "Happiest Countries," with Finland taking the top spot and South Sudan taking the last spot, out of 156 countries surveyed.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of United Nations' Sustainable Development Solutions Network was one of the authors of the report. He claims, "The increasing challenge of addiction across America might be the reason the nation's smile has slipped for the third year in a row. This year's report provides sobering evidence of how addictions are causing considerable unhappiness and depression in the U.S. The compulsive pursuit of substance abuse and addictive behaviors is causing severe unhappiness. Government, business and communities should use these indicators to set new policies aimed at overcoming these sources of unhappiness."
One of the world's most recognized happiness experts--Edward F. Diener, author of Happiness, suggests devoting "more time and energy to face-to-face relationships with other people and less to relationships with things, starting with cellphones and other things with screens." Also on Diener's list was finding meaning and purpose, caring about others and getting out of poverty. And he noted that mental illness "devastates happiness," so people who struggle with that should make getting help a priority.
Family therapist Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio suggests the key to happiness is cutting back consumerism and ignoring the continuous barrage of advertising. "Shiny new things will bring only a short burst of happiness, if even that."
(See https://www.deseret.com/2019/3/23/20669147/why-the-united-states-happiness-rating-just-hit-a-record-low#the-2019-world-happiness-report-says-finland-has-the-happiest-population-and-america-slipped-slightly-in-overall-happiness-ranking-for-the-third-time-in-a-row for more information)
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