Around the world, people are struggling. Rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and burnout are on the rise. While these may seem like unrelated phenomena, a recent paper takes the position that they draw from the same wellspring. To wit, capitalism.
How might capitalism be giving rise to the many psychological ills of our day? Karim Bettache of the Chinese University of Hong Kong argues that capitalism as a systemic structure does more than just organize our society. It’s shaping our psychology—how we feel, what we believe, and how we behave.
In particular, he zeroes in on key principles of capitalism, and makes a case for how they are fomenting mental health problems. His three “capitalist syndromes” are summarized below.
Gain Primacy Syndrome. This malady derives from the profit motive of capitalism, that is, the drive for continuous capital accumulation and economic growth. Dr. Bettache argues that it governs how we think about ourselves and the world. For example, education is framed as investing in human capital, career success is measured in terms of income and net worth, and people internalize societal messages that they are a “brand” that constantly needs to be improved upon.
How does a capitalist mindset permeate our psyche? Dr. Bettache maintains that the very language of investment, returns, and optimization has become the prism through which we see the world. We talk about investing in relationships, the return on investment in our education, and building our personal brand.
Zero‐Sum Rivalry Syndrome. This affliction is borne from market competition—the need to beat out rivals for advantages in the marketplace. Dr. Bettache contends that the competitive mindset of capitalism is making us more adversarial with each other, and damaging our relationships as a result.
In support of his argument, he cites research demonstrating that competitive environments heighten negative feelings, decrease trust, and harm social bonds when compared to cooperative environments. People in more market-oriented societies are also more prone to zero-sum thinking, seeing others gains as taking something from them. Such thinking erodes empathy and mutual support, which are essential for healthy relationships.
Ownership Syndrome. This condition stems from capitalism’s core tenet that private ownership is is the foundation of an economic system and personal freedom. Pursuit of ownership ultimately leads to materialism, in which people prioritize possessions and wealth. The research on materialism’s negative mental health effects is well-established: It is linked to lower self-esteem, greater anxiety and depression, and increased substance abuse.
The pressure to buy and have more is all around us. Dr. Bettache points to the car industry, as an example, which sells an identity as much as it does a mode of transportation. Luxury automobiles are a signal of status and success. High fashion similarly communicates exclusivity and belonging to a particular social tribe. We live in an environment saturated with messages that possessions and presentation is the road to self-worth.
Dr. Bettache concludes his article by suggesting ways to mitigate capitalism’s effects on mental health. For instance, within education, learning has become secondary to ranking, test scores, and the like. But research shows that cooperative learning doesn’t compromise academic performance—and it promotes social bonds.
Similarly, at the workplace employee ownership and worker cooperatives could motivate workers more than the pressures of individual competition and performance.
And within the practice of psychology, Dr. Bettache proposes something radical. Perhaps clinicians should help their clients distinguish between what constitutes personal issues and those that require a collective response. It may well be that the distress people are feeling is a proportionate response to an economic system that undermines mental health.