Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with mental disorders in 2023, reflecting a 95.5% increase since 1990, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet.
According to a report by CNN, the largest increases were seen in anxiety and depression, which were also the most common disorders last year. Anxiety cases rose by 158%, while depression increased by 131% compared with 1990. A residual category of personality disorders ranked third.
Researchers analyzed data from the 2023 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD), covering 204 countries and territories. The study highlighted differences in prevalence by age, sex, location, and socioeconomic status, warning that the world may be entering “an even more concerning phase of worsening mental disorder burden globally.”
Other disorders measured included bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, anorexia, bulimia, dysthymia, conduct disorder, and developmental intellectual disability of unknown causes. While anorexia, bulimia, and schizophrenia were the least common, they still affected millions, with roughly 4 million, 14 million, and 26 million cases, respectively, in 2023.
The study also underscored the impact of the Covid‑19 pandemic, noting that depression surged during the crisis and has not returned to pre‑pandemic levels, while anxiety peaked and remained high through 2023.
Mental disorders are now a leading cause of disability globally, with females and people aged 15 to 39 most affected. For the first time in GBD history, the peak burden was recorded among 15‑ to 19‑year‑olds, shifting from the middle‑age peak seen in previous decades.
The GBD study, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and funded primarily by the Gates Foundation, is the largest and most comprehensive effort to measure health trends worldwide. (Newswire/ CNN)