The study

Mental disorders, diagnoses doubled since 1990: 1.2 billion affected worldwide

Prevalence was measured in both sexes in 25 age groups, 21 regions and 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023

by Letizia Giostra

22 May 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Anxiety disorder and major depression: cases on the rise post-Covid
The alert for the younger generation and women
Locations and gaps in care

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

There are 1.2 billion people in the world suffering from mental disorders. A number that weighs heavily when compared to the number of diagnoses made in 1990, practically double. Mental disorders thus become the leading cause of disability globally, surpassing cardiovascular diseases, cancer and musculoskeletal disorders.

The study - conducted by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (Ihme) in collaboration with the University of Queensland and published in the journal The Lancet - attempts to turn the spotlight on the issue to understand what has happened in almost forty years.

Anxiety disorder and major depression: cases on the rise post-Covid

Twelve mental disorders came under the lens of the survey. The anxiety disorders and the major depression, for example, are ranked 11th and 15th respectively out of 304 diseases and injuries worldwide. Two diagnoses that should also be read in terms of the disability they cause: in 2023, mental disorders accounted for 171 million years of life lost due to disability worldwide, which ranks them fifth among the leading causes of morbidity. Moreover, mental disorders accounted for over 17% of all years lived with disability globally.

The increases have been largely driven by anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder: since 2019, the age-standardised prevalence of major depression has increased by about 24%, while anxiety disorders have intensified to over 47%, with both conditions peaking in the post-Covid years.

"These rising trends could reflect both the lingering effects of pandemic-related stress, and long-term structural factors such as poverty, insecurity, abuse, violence and declining social connections," is the comment of author Damian Santomauro, an associate professor at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and assistant professor affiliated with the Ihme. "Addressing this growing challenge will require continued investment in mental health systems, increased access to care, and coordinated global action to best support the populations most at risk.

The alert for new generations and women

Mental disorders and young people. The study also takes stock of the latter - especially in the 15-19 age group - highlighting the disproportionate way in which their psychological well-being is affected. Although diagnoses may come at all stages of life, the types of disorders and their impact vary depending on the age of the person.

During childhood, the most frequent diagnoses are autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Adhd), conduct disorder and idiopathic intellectual developmental disability, with a higher incidence in males than females. The older you get and the more you enter the adolescent phase, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with anxiety and major depressive disorder.

Looking at the female gender, in 2023 there were 620 million women living with a mental disorder, compared to 552 million men. Women also accounted for 92.6 million years of life lost due to disability or premature death, compared to 78.6 million men. According to the study, the differences are conditioned by several factors. First and foremost, cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Locations and gaps in care

High-income regions such as Australasia and Western Europe recorded some of the highest incidence rates, particularly in countries such as the Netherlands, Portugal and Australia. But significant increases were also found in western sub-Saharan Africa and parts of southern Asia.

Gbd (Global Burden of Disease) analysis estimates that only about 9% of people with major depressive disorder globally receive minimally adequate treatment, and less than 5% receive adequate care in 90 countries.

Of the 204 countries and territories considered, only a small number of high-income settings, including Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, have treatment coverage above 30%, highlighting serious global gaps in care that need to be closed.