The global health body is calling on all stakeholders to quickly enhance their services.
GENEVA, Switzerland September 2 –According to new data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 1 billion people worldwide are affected by mental health disorders.
Conditions like anxiety and depression impose significant human and economic burdens.
While numerous countries have made strides in enhancing their mental health policies and programs, urgent global investment and action are essential to scale up services that protect and promote mental health.
Mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, are widespread across all demographics, impacting individuals regardless of age or income.
They are the second leading cause of long-term disability, contributing to the loss of healthy life years.
The financial implications are profound, with increased healthcare costs for individuals and families translating into substantial economic losses on an international scale.
The findings, published in the reports; World Mental Health Today and Mental Health Atlas 2024, highlight progress made and reveal alarming gaps in the global response to mental health conditions.
These reports will be pivotal in shaping national strategies and facilitating discussions ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and the promotion of mental health, scheduled for 25 September 2025 in New York.
“Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” stated 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 ignore. Every government and leader must respond with urgency to ensure mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right for all.”
Key Data
The report indicates that while the prevalence of mental health disorders varies by gender, women are disproportionately affected overall. Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common among both men and women.
Tragically, suicide is a devastating outcome, claiming approximately 727,000 lives in 2021, making it a leading cause of death among young people in all socioeconomic contexts.
Although global efforts are underway, the progress in reducing suicide mortality remains insufficient to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of a one-third reduction in suicide rates by 2030. At current rates, only a 12 percent reduction is anticipated.
The economic impact of mental health disorders is staggering. While direct healthcare costs are significant, the indirect costs—mainly from lost productivity—are even greater.
Depression and anxiety alone account for an estimated annual cost of US$1 trillion to the global economy.
These findings underscore the urgent necessity for sustained investment, heightened prioritisation, and collaboration across sectors to improve access to mental health care, reduce stigma, and address the root causes of mental health conditions.
Key Findings
Since 2020, many countries have made considerable progress in bolstering their mental health policies and planning.
Numerous nations have updated their policies, embraced rights-based approaches, and enhanced their preparedness for mental health and psychosocial support during health emergencies.
However, this momentum has not led to significant legal reforms. Fewer countries have adopted or enforced legislation that aligns with international human rights standards, with only 45 percent of the evaluated countries meeting full compliance.
The report reveals a troubling stagnation in mental health investment. Median government spending on mental health remains a mere 2 percent of total health budgets, unchanged since 2017.
Disparities are stark; high-income countries allocate up to US$65 per capita for mental health, while low-income countries spend as little as US$0.04.
There is a global median of 13 mental health workers per 100,000 people, but extreme shortages persist in low- and middle-income countries.
Progress toward developing mental health services has been slow, with fewer than 10 percen of countries fully transitioning to community-based care models.
Most still rely heavily on psychiatric hospitals, with nearly half of admissions occurring involuntarily and over 20 percent lasting longer than a year.
Integration of mental health into primary care is progressing, with 71 percent of countries meeting at least three out of five WHO criteria.
However, data gaps remain; only 22 countries provided adequate information to assess service coverage for psychosis.
In low-income countries, fewer than 10 percent of individuals affected by mental health conditions receive care, compared to over 50 percent in higher-income nations, underscoring the urgent need to expand access and enhance service delivery.
Optimistically, most countries report having functional mental health promotion initiatives, such as those focused on early childhood development, which reflect an ongoing commitment to improving mental health outcomes worldwide.
