Prevalence Of Global Mental Disorders Nearly Doubled Since 1990, Now Affecting 1.2 Billion People Worldwide

The scale of mental illness worldwide has reached a historic high, with nearly 1.2 billion people now living with a mental disorder. This represents a 95.5% increase since 1990 and places mental disorders as the leading cause of disability globally, surpassing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and musculoskeletal conditions.

The largest increases since 1990 were recorded in anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder (MDD), which increased by 158% and 131%, respectively. Since 2019 alone, the age-standardized prevalence of MDD has risen by about 24%, while anxiety disorders have increased by more than 47%, with both conditions peaking in the . . .