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Mental well-being should be prioritized in the workplace

Mental well-being should be prioritized in the workplace

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Governments can never be too relentless in attracting and retaining talent. Now considered as powerhouses of global economies, exceptional talents have been instrumental in injecting innovation, productivity and economic growth across multiple industries, making them a valuable currency. But even as employers scramble to hire talents from all over the world, the post-pandemic reality demands a boost of productivity within existing talent clusters to recover economic losses born since the onset of COVID-19. What we need is a fundamental reimagination of talent productivity — by empowering individuals in their mental well-being capacity at the heart of the workplace.

To capitalize on this notion, we need to evaluate the landscape of mental well-being and how it impacts employee productivity. The US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation publishes the seminal report known as the Global Burden of Disease, which evaluates 286 causes of death, 369 diseases and injuries, and 87 risk factors in 204 countries. Results reveal that about 15 percent of the global population of working-age adults battle with mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety. This has dire consequences and challenges for employees as they seek to perform productively at work over a long period of time. Absenteeism and employee turnover naturally ensue, which have a negative effect on employers and economies.

Last month, the World Health Organization issued a report on the state of employee mental well-being around the world. It revealed that lost productivity from depression and anxiety is costing the global economy a whopping $1 trillion due to an annual loss of 12 billion working days, with Gulf countries losing an approximate $3.5 billion.

At the same time, an individual’s state of mental well-being is also exacerbated by workplace settings and policies, which can directly contribute to poor mental health and dim employees’ creativity, productivity and performance. We can trace the disruption of mental well-being in the workplace to a number of influential factors. To illustrate, unreasonably heavy workloads and short deadlines can lead to elevated stress levels due to the pressures of delivering work expectations. Working long, inflexible and unsocial hours can also exacerbate employees’ health. Moreover, subjecting employees to discrimination, bullying, exclusion or abuse is another contributing factor to reduced mental well-being.

Working in poor physical conditions can also have a negative impact on employees’ health, such as places with poor lighting or limited natural light, excessive noise and poor ergonomics. Furthermore, a lack of clear communication on career progression, unfair financial compensation and underutilized skills can all dim an employee’s productivity. Additionally, an employee’s personal life can be jeopardized by a lack of flexible working arrangements, such as having to work away from home for long periods, strict measures regarding sick leave for oneself or to care for a sick family member, and a lack of flexible or remote working arrangements.

Considering the important role that employment plays in a person’s life and its role in contributing to economic growth and societal welfare, it is critical that policies are enacted to improve mental well-being in the workplace. A number of solutions are at hand that necessitate the active support of multiple stakeholders, including governments, employers and health professionals.

The world of work should embrace a more human-centric approach and be shaped in a way that is harmonious with a person’s personal life and commitments

Sara Al-Mulla

Public policymakers and legislators should design nationally approved policies and legislation focusing on enhancing mental well-being in the workplace. Consulting a consortium of employers from across various industries will help fine-tune these guidelines and facilitate implementation later on. A mass media campaign promoting the principles and rights of employees to a more conducive workplace should be deployed and targeted at enterprises and workers alike. At the same time, enterprises should appoint or upskill human resource managers who have a strong background in deploying mental well-being policies and programs. Equally important is training supervisors in mental health literacy and managing related programs.

Vitally, the world of work should embrace a more human-centric approach and be shaped in a way that is harmonious with a person’s personal life and commitments. Introducing flexible working hours and remote working options can do wonders in enabling employees to balance all their personal and professional duties. Special leaves should be available for the carers of vulnerable dependents and family members, including children and elderly parents. Encouraging employees to take personal time off can also contribute to better health and positive outlooks.

Meanwhile, many fascinating studies have been published on how office design impacts employee well-being. Solutions include having sufficient natural lighting, interspersed plants, artworks, ergonomic furniture and an overall beautifully designed space. Designing recreational communal spaces can also promote social engagement and activity, such as having a library, a games room, a cafeteria or a garden. Offering subsidized subscriptions to local gyms can also be a great move to improve physical and mental well-being.

Moreover, it is critical for human resource departments to introduce well-being programs that equip employees with the skills to effectively deal with stress, financial issues, health challenges, family pressures or practical emotional support, while at the same time infusing them with the motivation to pursue their dreams and ambitions. Such illuminating content should also be made available on company intranets or digital applications for timely and easy access.

Inviting experts in on a regular basis to deliver practical talks on mental well-being can also be instrumental in disseminating practical advice. Putting in place legal frameworks for dealing with unfair treatment, offensive behavior and abuse should be mandatory for safeguarding employees’ rights to a healthy work setting. Another important intervention would be to secure mental health coverage in employee insurance packages.

These solutions create a new way to attract and retain talents who find the workplace a harmonious place that balances their personal and professional ambitions. By prioritizing mental well-being in the workplace, we can unlock talent potential and unleash high productivity, reaping massive economic rewards and elevated societal welfare.

Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature. She can be contacted at www.amorelicious.com.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view

Study on Saudi workplace wellness identifies key challenges, suggests solutions

Eighty percent of Saudi Arabia’s workplaces have been found to have no budget to support the mental health of their employees, a new report shows. (AFP)
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Updated 27 January 2023

Study on Saudi workplace wellness identifies key challenges, suggests solutions

  • Report by Tuhoon, a Saudi tech startup founded in 2021, incorporates feedback from 4,000 employees
  • Culture surrounding mental health in the Kingdom appears to be improving despite limited available data

DUBAI: Although mental health issues present a significant challenge to productivity, a benchmark survey in Saudi Arabia has revealed yawning gaps between the services that human resources departments claim to provide and what employees believe is actually on offer, with employees largely unwilling to discuss workplace stress.

For the report, entitled “State of Wellness at the Workplace,” researchers talked to 4,000 employees in the Kingdom’s public and private sectors to assess where challenges arise in the workplace and how to fix them.

The study, which was compiled by Tuhoon, a Saudi tech startup founded in 2021, was carried out in collaboration with the Saudi National Center for Mental Health and the Ministry of Health. 

“The surveys were filled out anonymously, which made workers more receptive to talk about their issues,” Tuhoon CEO Fares Ghandour told Arab News.

“We found females are more willing to talk on a personal level but they opt out of discussing their mental health in the workspace as they do not wish to be perceived as weaklings. We also found workers above the age of 45 are less likely to talk about their mental health than younger generations.”

Tuhoon recently launched a smartphone app designed to help users improve their mental health, manage stress and get better quality of sleep through personalized, culturally relevant audio content.

This content includes meditation and mindfulness exercises, sleep stories, masterclasses, book summaries, deep-focus music, and emergency playlists. It is curated by doctors, clinical psychologists, and certified meditation and self-awareness coaches.

The study indicates that more than 80 percent of Saudi workplaces have no budget to support the mental health of their employees, despite the rising number of workers reporting a decline in their well-being.

The report says that the lack of mental health monitoring has taken a significant toll on the cultural and economic performance of many organizations, and the private sector is perceived as offering less assistance than the public sector.

According to the report, most workplaces are failing to prioritize the mental health of employees. It says that 78 percent of organizations do not measure their workers’ mental health at all, 82 percent have no dedicated resources for mental health services, and 52 percent do not provide health insurance cover for mental health.

It also says that at least four out of five employees experienced at least one mental health problem in the past year. The most common symptoms were anxiety, burnout and stress, as well as depression, relationship challenges and loneliness.

The available data on the issue of wellness in Saudi workplaces, including details of programs and benefits employers offer their workers, remains limited but the culture surrounding mental health does appear to be improving.

However, the Arab world in general lags in this regard which Ghandour says is why he founded Tuhoon.

“I have been investing in tech businesses for nine years,” he told Arab News. “I decided I wanted to build and invest in something I am passionate about, and the mental health cause is dear to me.

“I approached Dr. Naif Almutawa, a clinical psychologist, and Aymane Sennoussi, who became co-founders, and I put my time, energy and effort into making Saudi Arabia and the Arab world a happier and healthier place.”

Mental health problems are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, with depression topping the list. They can affect people regardless of age, culture and socioeconomic status.

The World Health Organization estimates a quarter of the global population will suffer a mental health issue at some point during their lives, and that about 12 billion working days are lost each year to depression and anxiety at an annual cost of $1 trillion in lost productivity.

The Tuhoon survey of Saudi workplaces posed the question: “How would you rate your mental health over the past 12 months on a scale, from 0 to 4?” It found that 24 percent of respondents ranked their mental health as below average.




Almost a quarter of respondents ranked their mental health below average, with 44 percent of Saudi women and 32 percent of Saudi men in the workplace prone to burnout. (Shutterstock)

Among the respondents, women were 62 percent more likely to develop a mental health problem than men, while 44 percent of women in work were found to be prone to burnout and anxiety compared with 32 percent of men.

The research also revealed that 57 percent believed work-related stress affected their mental well-being.

Of the 50 human resources departments that were surveyed, 59 percent said their organizations did not provide mental health insurance coverage, and 82 percent said their companies did not have an employee assistance program. EAPs are designed to help workers resolve professional and personal problems that might be affecting their productivity.

The results of the Saudi surveys compare with the findings of a 2022 workplace report entitled “Mental Health in America” in which one-third of HR professionals said their organization provided no mental health services to employees, 27 percent said their organization was not sure of the proper benefits to provide, and 18 percent said their organization was unsure of what plan or insurance to offer workers.

In the UK, according to a 2022 study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, there is weak leadership on the issue of mental health in the workplace, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Figures show that only 29 percent of employers are able to spot early signs of mental health problems in their workers. Less than half (42 percent) of employers said that their leaders focus and encourage positive mental health by actions and behavior.

Good mental health is viewed as a key measure of prosperous and successful nations and organizations.

The Kingdom’s public sector scored higher (45 percent) than the private sector (36 percent) in terms of the proportion of employers that offered health insurance coverage that includes mental health services. Ghandour believes this is because the public sector plays such a major role in the Saudi economy, and so employees are looked after relatively well in an effort to maintain high productivity levels.

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According to studies by the Arab Barometer research network, however, more than half of residents in the Arab world find it hard to find decent mental health services. And globally, organizations struggle in the execution of HR policies designed to support mental health.

In 2019, the Saudi National Mental Health Survey found that 34 percent of people had experienced a mental health issue at some point in their lives, with blue collar-workers more open to reporting the challenges they faced than their white-collar counterparts.

It also found the most prevalent mental illnesses in the Kingdom were separation anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, major depressive disorder, social phobia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. 

Better-educated Saudis were more prone to such conditions.

Some 80 percent of respondents afflicted by a serious mental illness said they had not sought any treatment, while 8.9 percent said they had gone to a religious adviser or non-medical healer for help.

Experts say that to promote a healthier work culture, employers need to prioritize well-being, work to reduce the stigma that still surrounds mental illness, and provide mental health coverage for employees.

Tuhoon believes workplaces need to start viewing mental health as a collective issue rather than an individual problem. It recommends nine cost-effective steps to improve workplace mental health and, as a result, boost productivity.

These steps include workshops to raise awareness of the issue, and webinars on topics such as stress management, dealing with burnout, and increasing connectivity between workers. It also suggests offering additional days off to increase morale, training managers to spot mental health problems in workers, and creating a more welcoming and trusting work environment.




I decided I wanted to build and invest in something I am passionate about, and the mental health cause is dear to me,” said Fares Ghandour, CEO of Tuhoon. (Supplied)

Furthermore, Tuhoon urges employers to promote workplace behaviors that reduce burnout by encouraging workers to take time off if needed, offering a more flexible work environment, promoting a healthy balance between work and personal life, and creating a “check in” culture.

Additional recommendations include encouraging employers to use mental health assessments as a tool to measure stress and challenges, and to connect workers with helpful resources if needed.

Tuhoon says mental health “first aid” courses could also provide staff with the skills they need to detect the early signs of stressors and provide solutions and rapid responses to help distressed workers.

This could further reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace. Appointing “mental health ambassadors” would also contribute to more open and supportive conversations in the workplace.

Regarding the well-being of women in particular, Tuhoon urges employers to adjust workplace policies and encourage female employees to report harassment and sexual assault through the provision of a proper platform for doing so. Salaries and promotions must also be fairly determined regardless of gender.

Finally, employers and employees are encouraged to show gratitude in the workplace and introduce mechanisms through which workers feel able to talk about things or people they are grateful for inside and outside of work.

Tuhoon believes this could lead to enhanced job satisfaction, fewer sick days, the promotion of a positive and more trusting work environment, and increased productivity.


King Salman sends best wishes for Ramadan to Saudi citizens and all Muslims

Updated 22 March 2023

King Salman sends best wishes for Ramadan to Saudi citizens and all Muslims

  • It came as he chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting, during which ministers reviewed the outcome of recent meetings and approved a number of international agreements

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Tuesday sent his best wishes for Ramadan to citizens of the Kingdom and Muslims everywhere, expressing his hope that the holy month will bring hope and peace to Muslims and the entire world.

He instructed authorities involved in providing services for visitors to the Two Holy Mosques to continue to work with the highest levels of efficiency and excellence to ensure that pilgrims can perform their rituals with ease and tranquility, the Saudi press Agency reported.

The king was speaking as he chaired the weekly Cabinet session at Irqah Palace in Riyadh, after the Supreme Court announced that Ramadan would begin on Thursday.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari said ministers reviewed a number of issues that were discussed during meetings involving senior Saudi officials in the past week that aimed to develop relations and cement the regional and international status and role of the Kingdom.

Ministers reviewed Saudi Arabia’s participation during the 49th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, during which its representatives affirmed the Kingdom’s continued support for joint action, particularly in the humanitarian and development fields, and its unwavering stance in support of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect worldwide.

The Cabinet noted the Kingdom’s pledge, during an International Donors’ Conference in Brussels on Monday, to support the victims of the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria, help mitigate the effects of the disaster, and assist the recovery process.

Ministers affirmed that such efforts reflect the Kingdom’s constant commitment to showing solidarity with communities in need around the world and helping to address their needs.

The Council of Ministers said that recent positive evaluations by credit-rating agencies of the Kingdom’s economy reflected the effectiveness of the reforms implemented by the state, including the development of public-finance management, improvements to the quality of financial planning, and the more efficient use of resources under the financial sustainability program.

Al-Dosari said that the fact the Kingdom climbed 15 places on the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index 2022 is a reflection of the continued interest in and support for upgrading the quality of the research, development and innovation sector, which is helping to enhance the Kingdom’s global competitiveness and leadership in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding for cultural cooperation between the Saudi and Mexican cultural ministries, and another relating to the digital economy between the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and its Chinese counterpart.

It also authorized the minister of Islamic affairs, dawah and guidance to sign a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of Islamic affairs with the Somali Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs.

Ministers approved two agreements with South Africa, one for cooperation in a feasibility study for establishing a joint fund to encourage direct investment, and another for cooperation in the field of maritime transport.

They authorized the minister of transport and logistics and the chairman of the board of directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation to sign a draft agreement for air services with the Polish government.

The Cabinet also authorized the chairman of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission to sign a draft cooperation agreement for the evaluation and accreditation of Arab language curricula and programs with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization.

Ministers approved an agreement between the Saudi Public Prosecution Office and its Tajik counterpart for combating terrorism and its financing, money laundering, and other related offenses.

They also added the Human Rights Commission to the membership of the secondment and employment committee of regional and international organizations and bodies, and approved amendments to a bylaw for protecting personal data.

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Thursday to be first day of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia — Supreme Court

Updated 21 March 2023

Thursday to be first day of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia — Supreme Court

  • Muslims across the world fast from sunrise till sunset during the holy month of Ramadan
  • This is followed by the sighting of the new moon and is marked by Eid Al-Fitr celebration

RIYADH: The crescent moon was not sighted on Tuesday evening in Saudi Arabia and Thursday, March 23, will be the start of the holy month of Ramadan, the Kingdom’s Supreme Court has said. 

The court called on all Muslims in the Kingdom to look for the Ramadan crescent on Tuesday evening that corresponds to Shaban 29, 1444.

The Ministry of Justice announced it has launched an electronic system for crescent sighting “with the aim of automating and governing the moon sighting processes, and unifying work procedures between the courts of first instance and the Supreme Court.” 

The service aims to unify the data source of the observatory through a robust electronic system that provides speed and integration with the relevant authorities, raising the quality of the observatory operations, and speeding up the issuance of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding new moon sightings.

More than 1.9 billion Muslims around the world will mark the holy month, during which believers abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn until sunset.


These Saudi restaurants offer a taste of Persia on a plate

Updated 21 March 2023

These Saudi restaurants offer a taste of Persia on a plate

  • Restaurants in the Kingdom offer flavor-packed Persian dishes, including the national dish of Iran
  • Launched in 1999, the Persian restaurant Alshaya has expanded to nine locations around the Kingdom

RIYADH: Persian cuisine is popular around the world for its healthy, hearty and luxurious dishes.

The aromatic and flavorful cuisine includes perfectly cooked fluffy rice, grilled or stewed meat such as chicken, lamb, goat or fish, and vegetables that are enhanced by a variety of nuts, fruits, herbs and rich spices like cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, cloves, sultanas, berries and dried rose petals, among others.

Bordered by Iraq, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman and Turkemenistan, Iran comprises diverse ethnicities, with neighboring countries having a huge influence on its food.

Popular Persian dishes include ghormeh sabzi, chelo kabab, dizi, kabab koobideh, khoresht gheymeh, zereshk polo, tahdig, faloodeh and tulumba, among others.

The undated photo shows chelo kabab, a popular dish by Isfahani, a Persian restaurant in Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy: Isfahani)

Renowned Saudi food blogger Hisham Baeshen is known for his cooking videos on Instagram. With about 4 million followers, Baeshen makes dishes from around the world, including Saudi Arabia.

Baeshen said that he has cooked Persian food, with his favorite being the national dish of Iran — ghormeh sabzi, a stew prepared with meat and kidney beans with a side dish of zereshk polo, a mixture of white and saffron flavored basmati rice topped with barberries.

“I consider sabzi as the king of Persian foods. With a side order of zereshk rice, which I consider one of the staple dishes in Persian food,” Baeshen told Arab News.

Drawing similarities between Saudi and Persian cuisine, the blogger said: “I would absolutely recommend Saudis cook Persian food at home, because all the materials that you need for the Persian kitchen are available in the Saudi kitchen and the techniques used in cooking Persian food are not very different than the Saudi cuisine.

“Many people have tried Persian recipes and loved them. Honestly — very beautiful and delicious.”

Here are some restaurants in the Kingdom offering a taste of Persia on a plate.

Founded in 1990 in Bahrain, Isfahani has expanded its presence to eight locations across Bahrain and in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with branches in Dhahran and Alkhobar.

Ahmed Alqaseer, vice president of Isfahani group, said that Isfahani started when his uncle, Elias, gave his father, Jalil Alqaseer, the business.

Ahmed’s father took it upon himself to learn more about Persian culture from top Persian chefs by visiting Iran and Lebanon.

“The most important thing for us is to explore and share is the quality of the food. We keep on tracking, developing and adding more dishes,” Ahmed said.

With many great options to choose from, chelo kabab remains by far the the most popular choice among diners.

“Chelo kabab is the dish that gets the most recommendations and gets sold out the quickest in Isfahani locations and food delivery applications like Talabat,” Alqaseer said.

Isfahani’s target for 2023 is to expand to new locations and focus on its design, ambience and food.

“I want the customers to have a great restaurant experience and taste, as if they are in another world. We keep on developing the food and getting new recipes all while maintaining the quality of the food. The new restaurant will have customers will feel like they are in a very modern Persian restaurant,” Alqaseer added.

Mohammed Abduljabar is the owner of Zahra Zad, one of the only Persian restaurants in Al-Qatif.

The undated photo shows Saffron tea served at Zahra Zad, a Persian restaurant in Al-Qatif, Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy: Zahra Zad) 

“We decided to open a Persian restaurant because we saw that there weren’t any in the city of Qatif. The people of the city love Persian food and we wanted to give them something to indulge in,” said Abduljabar.

The soft opening of the restaurant, which is adorned with paintings highlighting Persian culture, architectural style and clothing, took place in February this year.

“We try to capture the true essence and atmosphere of a traditional Persian restaurant through these paintings and decorations. We have all sorts of paintings that symbolize Persian society and dress. Additionally, we added Persian music to add to the ambience.

“I think before starting any project, it is very important for us to study the culture thoroughly so that project truly succeeds,” Abduljabar said.

He added that the most popular dishes are mixed Persian grills — a mixture of beef and chicken kabab — and kashk bademjan, a Persian eggplant dip.

To satisfy one’s sweet tooth, Zahra Zad offers saffron cake and bastani sonati, a rich pistachio ice cream with saffron and rose water.

Taking accessibility and inclusivity into consideration, Abduljabar has kept its ground floor exclusive to people who are unable to climb stairs.

To make the restaurant attractive for customers of all ages, Zahra Zad also contains a shisha cafe.

Alshaya is another Persian restaurant with branches in Riyadh and the Eastern Province. Started in 1999, Alshaya has expanded to nine locations around the Kingdom. The restaurant offers traditional Persian dishes such as kabab, sultani steak and morgh chicken kabab, among others.
 


Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court calls on Muslims to look for Ramadan crescent on Tuesday evening

Updated 21 March 2023

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court calls on Muslims to look for Ramadan crescent on Tuesday evening

  • Ramadan 2023 will begin either on Wednesday or Thursday this week depending on the sighting of the crescent
  • Saudi court says anyone who sights Ramadan crescent with their eyes, through binoculars should notify nearest court

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on all Muslims in the Kingdom to look for the Ramadan crescent on Tuesday evening, Saudi Press Agency has reported.

Tuesday corresponds to Shaban 29, 1444 and if the Ramadan crescent is spotted on Tuesday evening, then Ramadan will begin on Wednesday. If not, the holy month will start on Thursday.

The court said anyone who sights the Ramadan crescent with their eyes or through binoculars should notify the nearest court to their location and record their testimony there, or contact the nearest center so that they can be directed to the nearest court.

 

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Saudi Arabia ranks second for world’s happiest people — Ipsos global survey

Updated 20 March 2023

Saudi Arabia ranks second for world’s happiest people — Ipsos global survey

  • Results show 86% of residents in Saudi Arabia are 'very or rather happy'
  • China came in first with 91% and the Netherlands ranked third with 85%

Saudi Arabians are the second happiest group of citizens in the world according to a new survey.

The results of the new Ipsos global survey showed that 86 percent of residents in Saudi Arabia say they are “very or rather happy.”  

This put Saudi Arabia second out of the 32 countries that were polled.  

China came in first with 91 percent, and the Netherlands third with a 85 percent, followed closely by India at 84 percent, and Brazil 83 percent.  

Meanwhile, respondents from Hungary, South Korea and Poland reported the lowest, ranging from 50 to 60 percent.

The US hovered around the middle of the pack, with 76 percent.

The survey found that on average, nearly three in four adults described themselves as “happy.”  

With 73 percent of people on average saying they “happy,” the survey shows that global happiness has gone up by six points since last year.  

Globally, people say they are most satisfied with their relationships with their friends and family.