Nearly 1.2B people worldwide have mental disorders, report says

Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide had mental disorders in 2023, reflecting a 95.5% increase since 1990, CNN writes, referring to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.

The study, published Thursday in the journal The Lancet, also revealed how trends concerning 12 mental disorders differed by age, sex, location and sociodemographic factors among 204 countries and territories.

The largest increases were in anxiety and depression, which were also the most common disorders in 2023. In third place was a residual category of personality disorders not accompanied by other mental or substance use disorders.

The other mental disorders measured were bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anorexia, bulimia, dysthymia, conduct disorder and developmental intellectual disability from unknown causes.

The authors of the study say “we are entering an even more concerning phase of worsening mental disorder burden globally.”

Most mental disorders were more common in females, but autism, conduct disorders, ADHD, personality disorders and inexplicable intellectual disability were actually more common in males.

The study also helps further illuminate how the Covid-19 pandemic may have influenced the rates of certain mental health conditions. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, rates of anxiety, depression and some other disorders were already increasing. But during and since the crisis, depression increased and hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic rates.

Improving lifestyle factors such as diet, social connection, exercise, sleep, hobbies and work-life balance, when possible, are also critical, experts said.