Rising Mental Illness: A Focus on Adolescents and Women

It has been reported that approximately 1.2 billion people worldwide suffer from mental illness. This figure is roughly double the number reported in 1990.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in the U.S. recently announced on the 21st (local time) that it reached this conclusion after investigating the prevalence of mental illness across 204 countries worldwide from 1990 to 2023.

According to the research team, as of 2023, the total number of people with mental illness was 1.17 billion, comprising 620 million women and 552 million men. This includes 12 major mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

When converted to age-standardized prevalence (prevalence adjusted for age differences), this means there are 14,211 patients per 100,000 people, representing a 95.5% increase compared to 1990.

In terms of Years Lived with Disability (YLDs), mental illness accounted for 17.3% of the total, surpassing cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and musculoskeletal disorders.

The research team stated, "The prevalence was highest among adolescents aged 15-19, and the disease burden on women was significantly greater than on men." They interpreted this to mean that "the burden of mental illness is concentrated among adolescents and women."

This increase in prevalence appears to have surged dramatically, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the research team, the age-standardized prevalence of major depressive disorder increased by 24% since 2019. During the same period, the prevalence of anxiety disorders rose by 47%.

However, significant disparities in mental health treatment gaps were observed across countries. In some high-income countries like the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia, over 30% of patients with major depressive disorder received appropriate treatment, whereas in more than 90 countries, treatment access rates were below 5%.

The research team emphasized, "National cooperation and sustained investment are essential for improving mental health. Particularly in low- and middle-income countries, it is crucial to expand access to mental health services and strengthen policies focused on early treatment and prevention."

The findings of this study were recently published in the international academic journal, The Lancet.