One in every seven people on the planet is now living with a mental disorder, according to a sweeping new study that describes the world as entering "an even more concerning phase of worsening mental disorder burden globally".
Published Thursday in The Lancet, the study found that nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide had mental disorders in 2023 — a 95.5% increase since 1990. Lead author Dr Damian Santomauro of the University of Queensland said he "was honestly shocked at the magnitude" of the findings.
Anxiety, Depression Lead Surge
The largest increases were in anxiety, which rose 158%, and depression, which climbed 131% compared to 1990 — making them the two most common disorders in 2023.
The study tracked 12 disorders in total, finding increases across all of them. Even the least common — anorexia, bulimia and schizophrenia — affected roughly 4 million, 14 million and 26 million people respectively.
Most disorders were more prevalent in females, though autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders and personality disorders were more common in males.
Covid Shadow
The pandemic measurably worsened the crisis. Rates of anxiety and depression were already rising before Covid-19, but during and after the pandemic, depression increased and has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Anxiety peaked during the crisis and remained high through 2023, the researchers found.
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Younger, More Vulnerable Generation
Critically, the burden has shifted to younger people. For the first time in the study's history, the 15–19-year-old age group showed the highest peak of mental disorder burden — a pattern that has historically appeared in middle age.
Dr Robert Trestman of Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, while talking to CNN, warned that interrupted mental development in this age group can have long-term repercussions. Experts attribute rising rates to a wide range of compounding factors — economic instability, trauma, political conflict, food insecurity, discrimination, declining social connection and environmental threats.
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System Falling Short
The study's authors were pointed in their conclusion, "This increase in burden has not been accompanied by proportional expansion of mental health services. Responding to the mental health needs of our global population, especially those most vulnerable, is an obligation, not a choice."
Experts recommend therapy, medication where appropriate, and lifestyle interventions including diet, exercise, sleep and social connection as starting points for those struggling.
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