Global Mental Health Statistics
Mental illness and health are human rights issues and need to be discussed in today’s world. These global mental health statistics give us an overview of how mental illness affects people. Understanding how mental illness affects people around the world can help us better solve the mental health crisis we are in.
Global Mental Health Statistics Overview
970 million people around the world struggle with some mental illness or drug abuse.
1 in 4 people will be affected by a mental illness at some point in their lives.
14.3% of deaths worldwide, or approximately 8 million deaths each year, are attributable to mental disorders.
The prevalence of all mental disorders increased by 50% worldwide from 416 million to 615 million between 1990 and 2013.
Depression and Anxiety Disorder Statistics
- Depression affects over 300 million people worldwide, regardless of culture, age, gender, religion, race or economic status.
- more than 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment for depression.
- Although high-income countries offer “minimally-adequate” treatment for depression in 23 per cent of cases, this drops to just three per cent in low and lower middle-income countries.
- Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among people aged 15-29.
- 284 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder worldwide
- Anxiety disorders disproportionately affect women, and 2.8% of males suffer from an anxiety disorder, where 4.7% of females suffer from anxiety disorders
- In a 2020 survey, 62% of respondents reported experiencing some degree of anxiety.
- In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety increased by a massive 25%
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Substance Abuse Disorder Statistics
- 178 million people worldwide suffer from a substance abuse disorder, including drugs and alcohol.
- Substance abuse disproportionately affects men, with 2% of males experiencing a substance abuse disorder, where only 0.8% of females experience a substance abuse disorder.
- Globally, substance use is responsible for 11.8 million deaths annually This is one in five deaths globally.
- More than half of those who die from alcohol or drug overdoses are younger than 50.
Statistics for Mental Illness in the United States
- The United States has the highest global death rate from mental health issues and drug abuse
- 19.86% of adults are experiencing a mental illness, and 4.91% are experiencing a severe mental illness.
- 19,314,000 of American adults claimed a substance abuse disorder in 2022
- Among U.S. adolescents aged 13-18, an estimated 49.5% of adolescents had any mental disorder. That’s half of all adolescents.
Global Access to Mental Health Services
- In 2020, among the 14.2 million adults with a serious mental illness, 9.1 million (64.5%) received mental health treatment in the past year.
- The percentage of young adults aged 18-25 years with a serious mental illness who received mental health treatment (57.6%) was lower than adults with a serious mental illness aged 26-49 years (63.0%) and aged 50 and older (72.9%).
- Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.
- The total cost of treatment for anxiety and depression disorders across 36 countries worldwide is estimated to be $147 billion by 2030.
Mental health is a human rights issue and impacts everyone. Caring for people who suffer from mental illness or addiction can change the world and the lives of people around the world. If you want to be a part of global mental health initiatives, Children’s Hope Chest is paving the way for better mental health across the globe.
Written in partnership with Reach The Lost.
