Nearly 1.2 Billion People Live With Mental Disorders Globally: Study

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

There were an estimated 1.17 billion people suffering from mental disorders worldwide in 2023, up by 95.5 percent from 1990, according to a May 23 peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet journal.

The study assessed the prevalence of 12 types of mental disorders across 204 nations and territories between 1990 and 2023. Types of disorders assessed in the study included bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. All mental disorders saw case numbers rise during the study period.

Researchers estimated there were 171 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to mental disorders in 2023. DALY is used to calculate how medical conditions and diseases affect the length and quality of life of a population. One DALY equals one year of healthy life lost due to sickness, disabilities, and death. As such, the study estimates that 171 million years of healthy life were lost in 2023 alone due to mental disorders.

Mental disorders made up 6.1 percent of all-cause DALYs in 2023 globally due to all sickness, disabilities, and deaths, making it the fifth leading cause of DALYs, up from 12th spot in 1990. Leading causes of mental disorder DALYs were anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia.

“A significant health burden was imposed by mental disorders in all countries and territories in 2023, irrespective of the health resources available. In some instances, this burden has increased over time and is unevenly distributed across populations,” the study said.

“Stronger surveillance systems, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries, are required. Additionally, we need more coordinated and inclusive policies to reduce the burden through early treatment and prevention, tailored to sex and age differences across locations.”

In a May 21 statement, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), whose researchers led the study, said that high-income regions such as Western Europe and Australasia recorded some of the highest mental disorder burden rates globally, which included countries such as Portugal, Australia, and the Netherlands. Large increases in burden rates were also identified in parts of South Asia and Western sub-Saharan Africa.

Women were more affected by mental disorders, with 620 million females estimated to be living with such a condition, compared to 552 million men.

In terms of age, mental disorders were found to disproportionately affect individuals between 15 and 19 years of age, which is a “critical developmental period that can shape trajectories for education, employment, and relationships,” said Dr. Alize Ferrari, one of the authors of the study who is an affiliate assistant professor at IHME.

The study was funded by the Gates Foundation, the University of Queensland in Australia, and Queensland Health.

US Mental Health

According to a May 19 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health is closely linked to physical health.

For instance, having depression raises the risk for various types of physical conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Risk factors of mental health include lack of access to housing or education, experiencing institutional or interpersonal discrimination, social isolation, lack of economic and employment opportunities, use of drugs or alcohol, adverse childhood experiences, and ongoing or chronic medical conditions such as cancer and traumatic brain injury.

In the United States, 23 percent of adults are estimated to live with a mental health condition. Almost 6 percent of adults have a serious mental health condition that “significantly interferes” with their daily activities, the CDC said.

Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, about 20 percent are estimated to have a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition.

A 2025 study found that committing acts of kindness is beneficial for mental health.

Volunteers insert flags at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix on May 23, 2026. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

In the study, Trinity Western University psychology professor Yeeun Archer Lee randomly assigned more than 200 participants to either take daily wellness breaks involving self-care for two weeks or perform acts of kindness every day during this period.

Lee said the study found acts of kindness to be “more effective in reducing loneliness and increasing social contact,” which is especially true for people who are highly lonely or socially anxious.