Key Takeaway:
- Mental disorders now affect 1.2 billion people globally and have become the leading cause of disability, surpassing major physical diseases.
- The Global Mental Disorders Study highlights that anxiety and depression drive most of the increase, with women and adolescents aged 15–19 being the most affected worldwide.
- Researchers call for stronger mental health systems, early intervention, and better global investment to address rising cases.
The Global Mental Disorders Study, published in The Lancet, reveals that mental disorders have more than doubled since 1990, now affecting about 1.2 billion people in 2023. Researchers report that these conditions have become the leading global cause of disability.
Global Cases Surge Since 1990
Researchers from the University of Queensland, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, and the University of Washington found nearly 1.2 billion people were living with mental disorders in 2023, almost double the 1990 estimate. The study concludes that mental disorders now surpass cardiovascular disease, cancer, and musculoskeletal conditions as the leading cause of disability worldwide.
The team analysed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 covering 12 disorders, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and eating disorders. They said mental disorders accounted for more than 17 per cent of all years lived with disability globally.
“These rising trends may reflect both the lingering effects of pandemic-related stress and longer-term structural drivers such as poverty, insecurity, abuse, violence, and declining social connectedness,” said first author Damian Santomauro, associate professor at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research in partnership with the University of Queensland.
The authors noted that data from the Global Health Estimates and Global Burden of Disease datasets indicate persistent increases across countries regardless of healthcare access, suggesting structural and social drivers rather than reporting differences alone.
The Global Mental Disorders Study reported that in 2023, mental disorders contributed more than seventeen percent of total years lived with disability, underscoring their outsized impact on quality of life compared with many physical health conditions.
Youth And Women Hit Hardest
The Global Mental Disorders Study found that in 2023, 620 million women and 552 million men were living with mental disorders worldwide, with women experiencing higher rates of anxiety and depression. Researchers emphasized that the burden was greatest among adolescents aged 15 to 19.
In India, age-standardised prevalence of anxiety disorders rose from about 2,592 per one lakh population in 1990 to 5,793 in 2023, a 123.5 per cent increase. Prevalence among women rose by 136.7 per cent compared to 102 per cent among men over the same period.
Researchers said neurodevelopmental and behavioural conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and conduct disorder were more common among males and tended to peak during adolescence.
Experts Call For Expanded Mental Health Systems
In September 2025, the World Health Organization reported that more than a billion people were living with mental health conditions in 2021, with anxiety and depressive disorders accounting for two-thirds of all cases.
Author Alize Ferrari of the University of Queensland said the global response remains insufficient and multiple risk factors are driving the rise, including inequality, violence, climate change, pandemics, war, and disasters.
In a related World Health Organization assessment released in 2025, officials warned that global mental health systems remain under-resourced, with anxiety and depression making up the majority of cases worldwide.
Experts say early intervention among teenagers, expanded school-based mental health programs, and improved access to therapy could help reduce long-term disability and economic burden globally.
Researchers emphasize continued monitoring to track changing prevalence patterns across regions.
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