People in richer nations report to be happier and a higher life satisfaction than people from poorer nations. Most countries now have higher self reported life satisfaction and happiness than in the past.
Rates of mental health disorders haven't changed much during the last 30 years.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/gdp-vs-happiness
I often wonder if modern society is truly happier than past societies, but then wonder if I’m only thinking that because I’m depressed, and most people probably don’t wonder such things?
Life is certainly more complex than it has been in the past, and I don’t know if we’ve adapted to really handle it yet. It seems unlikely.
Of course there are many objective metrics that suggest we should be happier (life expectancy, infant mortality, etc) but maybe we’ve just moved the goal posts?
Are these kinds of thoughts limited to depressed people?