In 1990 there were 599 million mental disorder cases globally. Now there are 1.2 billion

The number of mental health cases worldwide has almost doubled over the past three decades, according to new research published this week. (Getty Images: Solarseven) New research shows the global mental health burden has almost doubled since 1990, according to new research published this week. Anxiety and major depressive disorders were the most common, but schizophrenia showed the most impact on disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs. Researchers say it suggests the world is entering an "even more concerning phase" of worsening global mental health. Link copiedShareShare articleGlobally, mental health disorders have nearly doubled since 1990 — with new research finding almost 1.2 billion people worldwide are living with a mental health condition. The surge over the last three decades means mental disorders now account for more than 17 per cent of all disability worldwide, according to a report published this week. The peer-reviewed study by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and the University of Queensland, was published in medical journal The Lancet on Friday. In 1990, there were an estimated 599 million cases of mental health disorders globally. Thirty-three years later, in 2023, there were an estimated 1.17 billion cases around the world. Of the 12 mental disorders assessed, anxiety disorders and major depressive disorders were the most common. The number of anxiety disorder cases increased from 182 million in 1990 to 470 million in 2023, an increase of more than 47 per cent after accounting for population growth. Major depressive disorders increased by 24 per cent, from 102 million cases in 1990 to 236 million cases in 2023. The report's lead author Dr Damian Santomauro is an associate professor at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and an affiliate assistant professor at IHME. "Addressing this growing challenge will require sustained investment in mental health systems, expanded access to care, and coordinated global action to better support populations most at risk." The report looked at the data available for a dozen different mental disorders, including anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anorexia and bulimia. A "disability-adjusted life year" is a year of life lost due to disease or disability. The number of DALYs for a disease combines the years lived with disability and the years of life lost due to premature death. Its source — IHME's 2023 Global Burden of Disease study — is the largest and most comprehensive study of health to date. Comparing the number of cases also allowed researchers to calculate the "disability-adjusted life-years" or DALYs. Mental disorders were the fifth leading cause of DALYs globally in in 2023, up from 12th place in 1990. In total, they accounted for 171 million lost years of life globally in 2023. "Declining mortality rates from communicable, maternal, nutritional and neonatal diseases over the past 30 years have allowed many more individuals to live longer," the report said. "But [that is] not without increasing occurrences of chronic and disabling illnesses such as mental disorders. "However, [Global Burden of Disease study] 2023 findings suggest that we are entering an even more concerning phase of worsening mental disorder burden globally." The report also found both the number of cases and DALYs were not distributed equally. Anxiety disorders and major depressive disorders made up the largest portion of the mental disorder burden. Both disorders were also among the 20 leading causes of DALYs in 152 of the 204 countries featured in the Global Burden of Disease study. Both peaked in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its lower case numbers, schizophrenia was the third-leading cause of mental disorder DALYs globally "due to its high severity". People at every stage of life were affected, according to the report, but the type of mental health disorder varied by age. Co-author Dr Alize Ferrari is an honorary associate professor at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, in partnership with the University of Queensland, and an affiliate assistant professor at IHME. The news has never been more accessible, yet people are tuning out at record levels. Here is how to strike a balance between keeping informed and looking after yourself. "Our findings show that mental disorder burden peaks among 15-19 year-olds, which is a critical development period that can shape trajectories for education, employment, and relationships," she said. All 12 of the disorders reviewed were present among the 15-19 year age group, "the age at which anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder became most prevalent", according to the report. The DALY rate remained high between 20-39 years of age, before slowly declining from age 40 onwards. "Overall, these trends highlight the need to promote mental wellbeing across the life course, with prevention and early interve

In 1990 there were 599 million mental disorder cases globally. Now there are 1.2 billion

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