Frequently used as an umbrella term, “woke” signifies being informed, educated, and conscious of social injustice and racial inequality. However, a recent study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology has uncovered a notable correlation between “woke” beliefs and heightened levels of anxiety and depression. This correlation was identified through the utilisation of a newly developed psychological assessment, designed to evaluate adherence to principles associated with critical social justice.
As per the ideas presented in the study, the emergence of critical social justice which concentrates on recognising and rectifying systematic inequalities across various identity groups has recently sparked conversations across academia as well as politics. This particular approach to social justice is also said to have often ties to concepts like intersectionality and anti-racism, thus gaining praise for acknowledging systemic hurdles faced by marginalised communities while also facing criticism for its handling of identity and freedom of speech.
In the wake of the ongoing debate regarding the emergence of critical social justice, the study notes that there has been a lack of empirical data regarding its prevalence and impact and this is what the study addresses.
Acknowledging the particular gap, the author of the study aims to develop a dependable tool for measuring critical social justice attitudes and to delve into their prevalence and consequences.
Study finds ‘woke’ people with high depression and anxiety levels
The study started with a pilot survey of 851 adults, mostly from the University of Turku. After refining the initial assessment tool, a larger national survey was carried out with 5,000 participants and the survey was distributed through a major Finnish newspaper.
This research journey involved the exploration of various fields including intersectional feminism, critical race theory, queer theory, and other pertinent academics that contribute to critical social justice understanding.
Speaking on the same, the study author Lahtinen told PsyPost, “I had been paying attention to a development in American universities, where a new discourse on social justice became prevalent in the 2010s.” He further also shared that critical social justice discourse draws mainly from dynamics within American society and has now also surfaced in other Western countries.
While the study covers various variations in critical social justice attitudes across different demographic and social groups, an intriguing aspect of the study was its exploration of the relationship between social justice and mental well-being. Lahtinen found a correlation between higher agreement with critical social justice attitudes and increased reports of anxiety and depression.
“If white people have on average a higher income than black people, it is because of racism,” the study states thus exhibiting the largest positive correlation with anxiety and depression, and the largest negative correlation with happiness.
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