New research conducted by the London School of Economics has found that when it comes to happiness, relationship status and mental health are more important than economic factors.
The study wanted to find out the origins of happiness, and analysed surveys of 200,000 people from countries including the US, the UK and Germany.
Lead author of the UK study, Lord Richard Layard has said that people have, on average, not become any happier despite an increase in income.
"Tackling depression and anxiety would be four times as effective as tackling poverty,” the report reads.
"This evidence demands a new role for the state – not ‘wealth creation’ but 'wellbeing creation'."
In fact, according to the study, tackling poverty would only reduce misery by five percent, while getting rid of anxiety and depression would actually reduce misery by 20 percent.
“In the past, the state has successively taken on poverty, unemployment, education and physical health," it continues.
“But equally important now are domestic violence, alcoholism, depression and anxiety conditions, alienated youth, exam mania and much else. These should become centre stage."
