TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Mental Health Foundation (精神健康基金會) on Tuesday (Dec. 17) released its 2024 national mental health index, revealing a score of 81.67, barely above the passing mark of 80. Yang Tsung-tsai (楊聰財), the convener of the health index group, highlighted that the mind-body health score was the lowest at 79.81. He noted that about 40.9% of respondents reported poor sleep, indicating sleep disorders have become a new national ailment.
Other dimensions, such as personal value and life control, scored 79.99 and 80.24, respectively, with 34.3% of respondents feeling a lack of belonging and alienation. The survey found family health scored 86.66, the only bright spot among the four dimensions, suggesting stable family support in Taiwan. Yang emphasized Taiwan's leading consumption of sleeping pills in Asia, exceeding 1 billion tablets annually, and stressed the need to promote healthy sleep knowledge.
The foundation's survey also showed societal unpreparedness for aging, particularly in learning new things, exercising, social activities, and helping others. Psychiatrist Hu Hai-guo (胡海國) advised early preparation in these areas could enhance mental health and better equip individuals to face aging. The Mental Health Foundation's findings urge Taiwan to address sleep disorders and aging preparedness, highlighting the importance of proactive measures in mental health.
