Depression is also rising to epidemic proportions, suggesting that improving economic indicators may simply not have anything to do with quality of life.
More like, mental health is not directly correlated with quality of life. Freed from the preoccupation of having to fight or work hard for basic needs, many people fail to find meaning in their life.
I would probably be inclined to agree with that. From a report I read recently (which I can't find again, sorry) pertaining to my home town of Memphis, TN, apparently the general conclusion was that Memphians were happier than Nashvillians, despite the latter having better access to health care, better access to higher paying jobs, better community features (arts, entertainment, etc.)
The report didn't postulate on what the actual cause might have been, or how happiness was measured (or, if it was, I've forgotten), but I found it interesting, and it does support your point here. It seems that, at least since I've been paying attention, America has been trying to optimize for wealth or income, though statistically, it seems that there is validity to the notion that money doesn't buy happiness. If we could better isolate the causes of happiness, we could start optimizing for those factors instead.
Eh. That argument cuts both ways. Memphis blues aren't quite as big a deal as Nashville country, but it exists, and, on paper at least, should make musicians wont to sadness.
There are numerous alternative measures which have been proposed, though none have been widely adopted: FISH, GPI, UNHDI, GSDP, GESDI, etc.
"Nobel Laureate: Examine Alternatives to GDP"
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=nob...