Suffering is an inescapable part of the human experience, but it's time we stop treating it as a private, individual struggle and start viewing it as a public health issue. While it's true that suffering is a shared human experience, the impact of suffering on our well-being is not evenly distributed. In fact, the Global Flourishing Study reveals that a staggering 44% of adults across 23 countries reported experiencing 'some' or 'a lot' of suffering in 2023. This is not just a statistic; it's a call to action. We need to recognize that suffering is not just a personal problem but a societal one, and we must take steps to address it.
What makes this particularly fascinating is that the study also found a strong link between suffering and well-being. Suffering was associated with worse well-being in over 40 out of 56 outcomes examined, including lower happiness, relationship satisfaction, hope, and financial security. This finding is not new, as prior longitudinal research has also shown similar results. However, what is new is the scale and scope of this study, which provides a broader picture of the impact of suffering on our lives.
In my opinion, the key takeaway from this study is that suffering is not just a personal struggle but a public health issue. We need to stop viewing suffering as a private, individual problem and start treating it as a societal one. This means recognizing that many sources of suffering, such as violence, poverty, and neglect, are preventable. We can and should work towards reducing these sources of suffering, but we must also be realistic. Some sources of suffering, such as the loss of a loved one or living with the consequences of a life-altering personal mistake, may not be fully preventable.
One thing that immediately stands out is the importance of providing people with the resources and supports they need to prepare for, endure, and respond constructively to suffering. This is already a priority in fields like medicine, palliative care, psychology, and psychiatry, but we need to do more. We need to make beneficial resources and supports more widely available for the broader population, such as self-directed workbooks, psycho-educational groups, or community workshops. These resources and supports can be flexibly adapted and scaled through health systems, workplaces, schools, universities, religious communities, and civic organizations in ways that are sensitive to local needs and contexts.
What many people don't realize is that eliminating all suffering might not be realistic or even an ideal vision for humanity. A more suitable vision may be one in which preventable suffering is reduced wherever possible, and those who experience suffering have increasing access to beneficial resources and supports. By attending to suffering as a public health issue, we may strengthen our ability to reduce its burden and expand possibilities for human flourishing around the world.
In conclusion, the Global Flourishing Study highlights the importance of recognizing suffering as a public health issue. We need to work towards reducing preventable sources of suffering and providing people with the resources and supports they need to cope with the inevitable struggles of life. Only then can we create a world where suffering is not just a shared human experience but a manageable and even preventable aspect of life.
