The Quiet Crisis: Understanding and Addressing Languishing

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Page: 706-708

Tanu Shree Srivastava¹ and Supriya Chaturvedi² (Department of Psychology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh¹ and Department of Psychology, Avadh Girls’ Degree College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh²)

This paper discusses languishing, a unique mental state that goes beyond the simple lack of sickness. According to the World Health Organization’s definition and Corey Keyes’s continuum, languishing is defined as “quiet despair,” which is typified by a lack of true joy or purpose, emptiness, and emotional inactivity. It is a known risk factor for mental illness and is linked to worse performance in both personal and professional spheres, including absenteeism and poor concentration. Procrastination, diminishing significance, mental fog, emotional deflation, and decreased self-confidence are some of the key traits. According to a review of the evidence, social ties, generalized self-efficacy, and flexible coping strategies greatly reduce languishing among a variety of demographics, including Gen Z and college students. Research also connects it to changes in life, difficulties in school, and increased risk of suicide when paired with depression. This paper emphasizes the critical need to understand and address languishing to promote holistic mental well-being and inform targeted mental health interventions.