Over one billion people living with mental health conditions: WHO

NEW DELHI: Over one billion people are living with mental health conditions, with anxiety and depression being the most common conditions, according to new data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday. The report shows that while the prevalence of mental health conditions can vary by sex, women are disproportionately impacted overall. Suicide remains a devastating outcome, claiming an estimated 7,27,000 lives in 2021 alone, said the new findings published in two reports World Mental Health Today and Mental Health Atlas 2024 . Highlighting that suicide is the third leading cause of death among people aged 1529 years worldwide and disproportionately affects marginalised populations, the report said suicide accounts for more than one in every 100 deaths (1.1%) globally. For every death by suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts. Globally, more than twice as many males die by suicide than women do. Despite global efforts, progress in reducing suicide mortality is too low to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of a one-third reduction in suicide rates by 2030. On the current trajectory, only a 12% reduction will be achieved by that deadline, it added. While many countries have bolstered their mental health policies and programmes, greater investment and action are needed globally to scale up services to protect and promote peoples mental health. Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies an investment no country can afford to neglect. Every government and every leader has a responsibility to act with urgency and to ensure that mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right for all. The report said that mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are highly prevalent in all countries and communities, affecting people of all ages and income levels. They represent the second biggest reason for long-term disability, contributing to the loss of healthy life. They drive up health-care costs for affected people and families while inflicting substantial economic losses on a global scale, it added. However, it said, depressive and anxiety conditions are more common among females than males throughout the life course, while males are much more likely to have conditions of intellectual development (idiopathic), autism spectrum disorders, conduct disorder and ADHD. Males are also twice as likely to have ADHD or autism spectrum conditions than females. As depressive and anxiety conditions account for most cases of mental disorder, overall, more females (581.5 million) than males (513.9 million) live with a mental disorder. Women who have experienced intimate partner violence or sexual violence are particularly vulnerable to developing a mental health condition, with significant associations found between exposure to violence and depression, anxiety, stress conditions including post-traumatic stress conditions, and suicidal ideation, it added. The report said the economic impact of mental health conditions is staggering. While health-care costs are substantial, the indirect costs particularly in lost productivity are far greater. Depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy an estimated US$ 1 trillion each year, it added. These findings underscore the urgent need for sustained investment, stronger prioritisation, and multi-sectoral collaboration to expand access to mental health care, reduce stigma, and tackle the root causes of mental health conditions, the report said. However, it noted that since 2020, countries have been making significant strides in strengthening their mental health policies and planning. Many have updated their policies, adopted rights-based approaches, and enhanced preparedness for mental health and psychosocial support during health emergencies, it said. It, however, noted that momentum has not translated into legal reform as fewer countries have adopted or enforced rights-based mental health legislation, and only 45% of countries evaluated laws in full compliance with international human rights standards. It also revealed a concerning stagnation in mental health investment. Median government spending on mental health remains at just 2% of total health budgets unchanged since 2017. Disparities between countries are stark; while high-income countries spend up to US$ 65 per person on mental health, low-income countries spend as little as US$ 0.04. The global median number of mental health workers stands at 13 per 1,00,000 people, with extreme shortages in low- and middle-income countries. Reform and development of mental health services is progressing slowly. Fewer than 10% of countries have fully transitioned to community-based care models, with most countries still in the early stages of transition. Inpatient care continues to rely heavily on psychiatric hospitals, with nearly half of admissions occurring involuntarily and over 20% lasting longer than a year. Integration of mental health into primary care is advancing, with 71% of countries meeting at least three of five WHO criteria. However, data gaps remain; only 22 countries provided sufficient data to estimate service coverage for psychosis. In low-income countries, fewer than 10% of affected individuals receive care, compared to over 50% in higher-income nations highlighting an urgent need to expand access and strengthen service delivery. Encouragingly, most countries report having functional mental health promotion initiatives such as early childhood development, school-based mental health and suicide prevention programmes. Over 80% of countries now offer mental health and psychosocial support as part of emergency responses, up from 39% in 2020. Outpatient mental health services and telehealth are becoming more available, though access remains uneven, the report said. While there have been some encouraging developments, the latest data shows that countries remain far off track to achieve the targets set in WHOs Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan. WHO calls on governments and global partners to urgently intensify efforts toward systemic transformation of mental health systems worldwide. This includes: equitable financing of mental health services; legal and policy reform to uphold human rights; sustained investment in the mental health workforce; and expansion of community-based, person-centred care, it said.