This presidential election year, most Americans (80%) want economic stability prioritized as a means of safeguarding the nation’s future well-being—but they also want sound mental health (77%) and high-quality education opportunities (76%), according to the findings of the inaugural State of Well-Being Report from Sesame Workshop and the Harris Poll.
We can credit these insights to a perennial preschooler, a certain cherry red Muppet with an unmistakable chirrup.
Remember back in January when Elmo, of Sesame Street fame, posted on X, “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” and got inundated? The simple, yet broad question drew cheeky responses from businesses, celebrities, and civic organizations. Jimmy John’s joked, “well it’s the 800th day of January so.” Oreo quipped, “ran out of milk. do the math.” Chance the Rapper wasn’t doing too badly, writing, “Honestly, I’m in a really good place rn.”
Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?
— Elmo (@elmo) January 29, 2024
Others on social media, though, found their mental health faltering in the midwinter. From lamenting it was Monday to admitting they were seriously struggling, users aired their grief, trauma, depression, frustration, and anxiety amid memes of dumpster fires.
Elmo told his followers, in part, “Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends!”
And check in he did, through this latest poll engineered to appraise Americans’ mental health. Sesame Workshop, the global nonprofit behind PBS’s Sesame Street, announced the findings last week.
“We could not have predicted the overwhelming response that followed Elmo’s post,” Samantha Maltin, Sesame Workshop’s executive vice president and chief marketing and brand officer, said in a news release about the results. “The tweet, and the campaign it spawned, reached over 300 million people, with more than 3 million heartfelt reactions pouring in.
“As Elmo’s viral moment and this new study indicate, the most pressing issue facing American families right now is mental health and emotional well-being.”
The report is based on a survey of more than 2,000 people ages 16 and older conducted in May. Data were weighted to be representative of the U.S. population, with generations divided into these age groups:
- Teen: 16 to 17
- Gen Z: 18 to 27
- Millennials: 28 to 43
- Gen X: 44 to 59
- Boomers: 60+
In addition, nearly 300 preschool and K–12 educators, including principals and counselors, were polled.
COVID continues to negatively impact Americans’ well-being
Americans don’t just view mental health as figuratively important; they want to see those in power take action. A majority (81%) agreed with the statement, “Leaders of our institutions need to reorient their priorities around well-being.”
Perhaps so many people in the U.S. want to shine a spotlight on mental health because their own is in jeopardy. Most survey respondents (79%) said their own well-being was negatively impacted by at least one factor, with more than half of teens (54%) and a third of parents (32%) saying mental health issues were negatively impacting their own or their family’s well-being. Overall, over a quarter of people (27%) cited their own or their family’s mental and emotional health as a source of negativity. Lack of access to high-quality education and learning opportunities was another driver of negativity for a quarter of parents (25%).
While the COVID-19 federal public health emergency may be over and the virus shifted from pandemic to endemic status, plenty of parents (61%) reported their family was still experiencing the coronavirus’s negative effects. Nearly half of all respondents (44%)—and majorities of Black (57%), Hispanic (56%), and LGBTQ+ (55%) respondents—said the same.
Survey respondents ranked these negative impacts as most damaging to their well-being:
- Personal finances/economic security: 41%
- You/your family’s current physical health: 28%
- You/your family’s current emotional/mental health: 27%
- Effects of climate change: 23%
- Not having a strong network of friends or family: 23%
- Racism or discrimination: 23%
- Substance abuse: 16%
- Not being able to be your authentic self: 15%
- Lacking access to high-quality education/learning opportunities: 14%
“It’s heartening to see the growing openness around mental health discussions today,” Maltin said. “Americans understand that mental health is a vital issue, and that’s why the need for our work has never been greater.
“By celebrating everyday joys, teaching children to understand their emotions, and helping parents recognize the signs of more serious mental health challenges, we’re building a solid foundation for children’s emotional well-being that will support them for years to come.”
Gen Z, millennials want social-emotional learning in schools
Education should encompass social and emotional skills just as much as academics, according to most Gen Z and millennial respondents (63%), compared to a smaller majority of older generations (58%). Nearly three-quarters of educators (71%) agree.
This may be because the younger generations feel they missed out on this teaching. The vast majority of Gen Z and millennial respondents (82%) agreed with the statement, “I wish I had been taught more about how to understand and manage my emotions as a child,” compared to 65% of Gen X and Boomers. An even larger proportion of parents (84%) said the same.
The data also suggest today’s parents want to be more open with their children about mental health. Well over half of parents (79%) and all respondents (67%) agreed, “I wish my parents had been more honest with me about their mental health struggles.”
The survey measured a number of other issues, including how people perceive U.S. adults and children, the importance of kindness in a healthy society, and the meaning of resilience. Nearly all respondents (90%) agreed, “Nurturing kindness in children has a positive ripple effect, building a brave and caring society for generations to come.”
If you need immediate mental health support, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
For more on mental health:
- Hawaii is the happiest state in America. Here’s how the rest of the country ranks
- COVID can cause mental illness—but being vaccinated helps, new study shows
- One of the best things you can do for your mental health, according to a psychologist who counsels U.S. Olympians
- Antidepressant not working? AI may do a better job than your doctor in matching you with the best medicine
