Global mental health crisis looms as over 1 billion live with disorders – WHO
More than 1 billion people worldwide are living with mental health disorders, according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO), which warns that anxiety, depression, and related conditions are exacting an immense human and economic toll.
The findings, published in two reports, World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024, show that while some progress has been made in policy and service planning, significant gaps remain. WHO is urging governments to scale up investment and action ahead of the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases and mental health, scheduled for September in New York.
“Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that “Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies, an investment no country can afford to neglect.”
Anxiety, depression affecting women
Anxiety and depression are the most common conditions, with women disproportionately affected. Mental health disorders are now the second leading cause of long-term disability worldwide. Taking one’s own life remains a devastating outcome, claiming an estimated 727,000 lives in 2021. It is one of the leading causes of death among young people, regardless of region or income level.
Global targets remain out of reach. The UN Sustainable Development Goal calls for a one-third reduction in suicide rates by 2030, but WHO projects that only a 12% reduction will be achieved on the current trajectory.
The economic burden of these conditions, specifically, depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy around US$1 trillion annually, mostly through lost productivity, the report said.
Gaps in investment and workforce
Despite growing awareness, investment in mental health has stagnated. Median government spending remains at just 2% of health budgets, unchanged since 2017. Disparities are glaring with high-income countries spend up to US$65 per person on mental health, while low-income countries spend as little as US$0.04.
The workforce shortage is equally severe. The global median stands at 13 mental health workers per 100,000 people, with extreme shortages in low- and middle-income nations.
Progress and stalled reform
Since 2020, many countries have updated mental health policies, adopted rights-based approaches, and expanded support during health emergencies. More than 80% now include mental health and psychosocial support in emergency responses, up from 39% in 2020. School-based initiatives, suicide prevention programs, and telehealth services are also expanding.
Yet legal reform has lagged. Fewer than half of countries have mental health laws in line with international human rights standards. Nearly half of psychiatric hospital admissions remain involuntary, and more than 20% last longer than a year. Only a small fraction of countries have shifted to fully community-based care, with inpatient institutions still dominating.
Access gaps persist, particularly in low-income countries where fewer than 10% of people with severe mental health conditions receive treatment, compared with more than 50% in wealthier nations.
Time to act
WHO stressed that countries remain far off track to meet the goals of its Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan. It urged governments to intensify systemic reform through equitable financing, stronger legal protections, investment in the workforce, and a rapid shift to community-based, person-centered care. Without urgent action, the agency warned, millions will continue to face preventable suffering and the global economy will bear the cost.
Category: Health alert
