Happiness, Underdevelopment, and Mental Health in an Andean Indigenous Community

Evidence indicates that developed countries are not happier compared to middle-income countries. Furthermore, there are indicators of an unhappy, psychopathological overdeveloped society. The purpose of this study is to explore subjective well-being, mental health, and development in a small traditional Andean Peruvian village. An emic, bottom-up method was followed: ethnographical research, in-depth open-ended interviews, and psychometric scales were integrated. Mental health was explored thorough clinical assessment.High levels of happiness and low levels of psychopathology were found. Complex interactions between a balanced life satisfaction, low levels of satisfaction with development, landscape, strong social support, and intensive interactions with friends and family are discussed. This pattern can resemble the ancestral lifestyle, when the brain evolved to produce neurotransmitters of happiness while coping with survival and development challenges. Conversely, modern society and overdevelopment can activate depression and unhappiness.