Most recent estimates of mental health burden (2023)

The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) is the most comprehensive worldwide observational epidemiological study, tracking morbidity, mortality, and risk factors across countries, age groups and sexes from 1990 to the present. It provides standardized data (DALYs) to help improve health systems, reduce disparities, and guide policy. The GBD study estimates the burden due to 12 mental disorders, including disability and total cases.

Key findings include: 

• 15% of the world’s population experienced mental disorders in 2023 
• 71% of global anxiety disorder burden could be avoided if all people with anxiety disorders accessed optimal treatment 
• 17% of the total years lived with disability in the world were due to mental disorders in 2023 

It also answers questions such as: 

• Where are mental disorders most common?  
• How can we respond to the burden imposed by mental disorders globally? 
• Are the prevalence and burden of mental disorders increasing over time? 

The GBD Compare tool allows to find these measures, including years lived with disability, disability-adjusted life years, and more, across locations and time.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) provides periodic updates into the mental health burden based on multiple sources of data, including the Global Burden of Disease 2023.