Researchers examined 13 mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They found that one in three people—most often women—has suffered clinical depression at some point. A large-scale analysis indicates that half the global population will experience depression, anxiety, or another mental disorder by age 75.
Mental Health Declines Worldwide
To track diagnostic trends, the team used two decades of WHO surveys covering more than 156,000 adults in 29 countries. They project that one in two people may experience at least one mental health disorder before old age—a sharp rise from 2019, when the estimate was one in eight.
The overall lifetime risk of developing a mental illness was 46% for male participants and slightly higher at 53% for females. Women were particularly likely to develop PTSD, while men were more likely to struggle with alcohol abuse. Major depressive disorder and specific phobias were equally common in both sexes.
A Daily Mail report says the rate of mental illness in the U.S. has worsened in recent years. Over that period, annual deaths from suicide rose from nearly 46,000 to about 48,000. The new analysis warns the crisis isn’t limited to the U.S. but has reached global proportions.
Mental Disorders More Common in Women
The analysis used personal interview data from 156,331 people collected between 2001 and 2022 as part of a WHO mental health study. The dataset covered 29 countries — the U.S., Qatar, Israel, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, and several countries across Europe, Africa, and South America.
Lead author Dr. John McGrath said major depressive and anxiety disorders were the most common. The team also found that the risk of certain disorders varies by gender.
Women reported having a lifetime diagnosis of an anxiety disorder significantly more often than men (nearly 19% versus 11%). They also had a slightly higher likelihood of any mental disorder overall—29.8% compared to 28.6% for men.
At the time of the survey, the most common mental health issue among men (14%) was risky alcohol use, classified separately from alcohol dependence. Major depressive disorder ranked second, reported by 7.5% of men. An additional 5% reported having a specific phobia, defined as debilitating anxiety that interferes with daily life.
Meanwhile, women most frequently reported major depressive disorder, with a prevalence of 13.6%, about twice the rate seen in men. Women were also twice as likely to have a specific phobia.
Understanding the Likelihood of Mental Disorders Will Aid Professionals
The study helps researchers quantify the impact of various mental disorders across a large population. It also found that many of these disorders typically begin around age 15.
Based on the findings, the international team called for increased financial and social investment to improve early diagnosis and treatment, which would increase people’s chances of longer, healthier lives.
Dr. Ronald Kessler emphasized that services must quickly identify and treat common mental disorders and be tailored to patients’ needs during these critical life stages. He said knowing the typical age of onset allows public health officials to adapt interventions and allocate resources for timely support to at-risk people.
