Why is Britain’s mental health so incredibly poor? It’s because our society is spiralling backwards | George Monbiot

Even as neoliberalism destroys our dreams of a better life, politicians tell us there is no alternative'. But there is

The news should have stopped us in our tracks. Astonishingly, however, it was scarcely reported here. The latest map of mental wellbeing published by the Global Mind Project reveals that, out of the 71 countries it assessed, the United Kingdom, alongside South Africa, has the highest proportion of people in mental distress - and the second worst overall measure of mental health (we beat only Uzbekistan). Mental wellbeing has plummeted in the UK further than in any comparable nation. How was this not headline news?

More importantly, why has it happened? The Global Mind Project blames smartphones and ultra-processed food. They doubtless play a role, but they're hardly peculiar to the UK. I think part of the reason is the sense that life here is, visibly and obviously, spiralling backwards.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist. His latest book, The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism (& How It Came to Control Your Life), is out on 16 May