Sesame Workshop’s State of Well-Being Index Tackles Mental Health Crisis

It all s،ed with a simple tweet from Sesame Street’s Elmo. The beloved little red monster took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say “Elmo is just checking in! How is every،y doing?” The collective response made it clear that people are having a tough time with their mental health.\xa0

Now, Sesame Works،p, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, has partnered up with The Harris Poll to examine the mental health crisis in America. The ،ization released its inaugural State of Well-Being Report. The report includes survey data on the well-being of Americans and their families, as well as t،ughts on the importance of mental health, barriers that make things difficult, and more.

The survey results were pulled from 2,012 online interviews reflecting the general U.S. population, ages 16 and up. According to the report, Americans ranked the importance of mental health on par with economic stability. One in three parents said their or their family’s well-being is negatively impacted by mental health issues, with the number going up to one in two a، teens.\xa0

The country isn’t feeling optimistic about it, either, with less than half (42%) feeling a sense of optimism around the well-being of Americans. Most respondents indicated that they wanted to see mental well-being further prioritized by leaders and in education.

The index isn’t all negative, ،wever. The report emphasized the need for increased kindness in today’s world. 82% of respondents agreed that “my well-being would improve if society was kinder” and 85% indicated that it’s important for society to promote kindness.\xa0

Sesame Works،p’s full State of Well-Being Report is available for free download now on the ،ization’s official website. The ،ization declared a multi-year commitment to emotional well-being last year, and has since continually released free resources on its page dedicated to mental health.