The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is considered the leading global  research and educational resource for the global wellness industry and is known for introducing major  industry initiatives and regional events that bring together leaders and visionaries to chart the future. GWI  positively impacts global health and wellness by advocating for both public institutions and businesses  that are working to help prevent disease, reduce stress, and enhance overall quality of life. Its mission is to empower wellness worldwide.

Defining the Mental Wellness Economy was co-authored by Ophelia Yeung and Katherine Johnston, Senior  Research Fellows at the Global Wellness Institute. Together, they have four decades of experience leading  research and strategy development for businesses, governments, and nonprofits worldwide. Since 2008,  Ms. Yeung and Ms. Johnston have pioneered groundbreaking research and co-authored numerous studies  that define and measure the global wellness economy and its subsectors, under the auspices of the Global  Wellness Institute. Tonia Callender, GWI Research Fellow, contributed significant research in industry and  regional developments and data for this study.

Executive Summary

Full Report

I.  Mental Wellness Takes Center Stage

II. Defining Mental Wellness

III.Personal Agency Versus Collective Responsibility

IV. The Mental Wellness Economy

V.  Mental Wellness Industry Subsectors

1.Self-Improvement

2.Meditation & Mindfulness

3.Brain-Boosting Nutraceuticals & Botanicals

4. Senses, Spaces, & Sleep

Appendices

Appendix  A: Understanding Key Terminologies – Mental Illness, Mental Health,  Mental Well-being, and Happiness

Appendix B: Measuring Individuals’ Mental Wellness

Appendix C: History of Modern Mental Wellness Practices

Mental wellness can offer a path forward in a world suffering  from a mental health and well-being crisis.  

Our mental unwellness has been a growing public health crisis for some time. Over 15% of the global  population suffers from mental and substance use disorders.1  Dementia is on the rise; happiness is on the  decline in many countries; and stress, worry, sadness, burnout, and loneliness are increasing all around the  world.2 In 2020, COVID-19 has accelerated the deterioration of our collective mental health and well-being.  The pandemic has exposed the wide gap between mental health needs and mental health resources, as  well as our vulnerability to mental distress even when we do not have a diagnosed mental illness.3 

In this dire landscape, mental wellness offers a path forward to help meet widespread needs and increase  well-being for all. In fact, a big shift toward mental wellness is just beginning: as a personal pathway  toward higher levels of well-being, as a public health and community strategy, and as a business and  investment opportunity. Practitioners and consumers have been leading the way, with a vibrant private  sector creating new solutions, services, and products to help people build resilience and improve their  mental wellness. Yet, the understanding of mental wellness is often fuzzy, and to date there has been no  definition or quantification of this burgeoning mental wellness marketplace. 

This study will offer a definition for mental wellness; clarify  concepts and outline pathways; define mental wellness as  an industry for the first time and delineate its segments; and  estimate the size of the global mental wellness economy.