It is said that Nordic welfare is good, but why is Nordic depression so high?

As we all know, the welfare in Nordic countries is very high. Abundant natural resources have laid the foundation for high social welfare in Northern Europe. Effective high taxes and perfect social security network have played an important role. Nordic people have high welfare benefits, and they still work hard and innovate constantly, which is worth learning.

You may not know that behind the extremely high happiness index in northern Europe is the extremely high suicide rate and the prevalence of depression. Throughout the 20th century, Denmark and Finland have been at the forefront of the global suicide rankings. At present, 1/4 people in Sweden suffer from depression or are prone to depression. 10% of Finnish teenagers suffer from different degrees of depression and anxiety, and 50% of them have not been treated. At present, more than 5% of Finland's population suffers from depression. Iceland is the world's largest consumer of antidepressants. In Iceland, about 1000 residents use antidepressants every day. Unexpectedly, Denmark, Norway and Iceland rank among the top 20 cancer incidence rates in the world.

There are different opinions about the reasons. The high rates of depression and suicide in northern Europe are usually related to the geography and climate there. Because northern Europe is located at the junction of the northern temperate zone and the northern frigid zone, the temperature in most places is low all the year round. Winter is long and cold, the average monthly temperature is below 0℃, the nights are long and the days are short, and the relative humidity of the air is high.

As we all know, northern Europe and other places are very cold, and there is little sunshine in winter. This geographical phenomenon may aggravate the problem of depression. In winter, as the temperature drops, there is less and less sunshine in the north and south, and people begin to feel depressed. Too little sunshine will lead to increased cortisol, increased fatigue, drowsiness, and many people will start overeating, which are all factors leading to depression.

However, it should be noted that depression is a very complicated physical and psychological disease, and light is only one of the influencing factors. Whether bad weather will lead to a person's depression depends largely on his own genetic characteristics and growth experience.