WHO’s two latest reports - World mental health today and Mental Health Atlas 2024 - highlight the widespread global burden of mental health conditions, affecting over a billion people and incurring substantial economic costs.

Key Highlights of the Reports

• Growing Prevalence: In 2021, 14% of the global population were estimated to be living with a mental disorder.
• Most Common Disorders: Anxiety and depressive disorders account for more than two-thirds of all mental health conditions.
• Gender disparities: Females are estimated to more often experience anxiety, depressive, and eating disorders.
• Youth vulnerability: Nearly half of mental disorders begin before the age of 18 years.
• Critical gaps in mental health systems: Insufficient investment (median government spending - 2% of Health Budget), severe shortage of mental healthcare workers, poor treatment coverage, etc.

Consequences of Mental Disorders

• Suicide Crisis: In 2021, Suicide was the second leading cause of death in 15–29-year-old females; and the third leading cause of death in males in this age group.
• Informal care burden: Mental health conditions account for one of the highest annual costs of informal care, placing significant social, economic, and emotional burdens on family members and other informal carers.
• Economic consequences: Economic burden of mental health conditions is estimated to be between 0.5% - 1.0% of GDP in several countries.