The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new data revealing that more than 1 billion people worldwide are living with mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression. These conditions are inflicting a heavy human and economic toll, ranking as the second leading cause of long-term disability globally.
While some progress has been made in policies and programs, WHO stresses that greater investment, legal reform, and global action are urgently needed to expand access to mental health care.
The Scale of the Mental Health Crisis
Mental health disorders affect all ages, communities, and income levels. Conditions like anxiety and depression not only disrupt daily life but also drive up healthcare costs, strain families, and cause massive economic losses.
- Depression and anxiety cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion annually in lost productivity.
- Suicide claimed 727,000 lives in 2021, making it a leading cause of death among young people worldwide.
- On the current trajectory, the world is far from meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal of reducing suicide rates by one-third by 2030—progress is tracking at just 12%.
WHO Reports Highlight Gaps in Progress
The new reports World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024 highlight both progress and persistent gaps.
- Since 2020, many countries have updated mental health policies, adopted rights-based approaches, and strengthened emergency preparedness.
- Yet legal reforms lag behind: only 45% of countries’ mental health laws fully comply with international human rights standards.
- Government spending on mental health remains stagnant at just 2% of health budgets, with sharp inequalities: high-income countries spend up to $65 per person on mental health, compared to just $0.04 in low-income nations.
- Workforce shortages are critical: the global median is 13 mental health workers per 100,000 people, with far fewer in low- and middle-income countries.
Slow Transition to Community-Based Care
WHO data shows that fewer than 10% of countries have fully transitioned to community-based mental health care, with many still relying heavily on psychiatric hospitals. Nearly half of psychiatric admissions are involuntary, and more than 20% last longer than a year.
Integration into primary care is improving, with 71% of countries meeting at least three of five WHO criteria, but access remains uneven. For example, fewer than 10% of people with psychosis in low-income countries receive care, compared to over 50% in high-income settings.
Encouraging Developments
Despite challenges, there are positive signs:
- More than 80% of countries now provide mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies, up from 39% in 2020.
- School-based mental health programs, suicide prevention initiatives, and early childhood interventions are expanding.
- Outpatient services and tele-mental health options are becoming more available, though gaps remain in accessibility and coverage.
A Global Call to Action
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the crisis one of the most urgent global health challenges of our time.
“Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies – an investment no country can afford to neglect. Every leader has a responsibility to ensure mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right for all.”
WHO urges countries to:
- Equitably finance mental health services.
- Enact rights-based mental health legislation.
- Expand the mental health workforce.
- Accelerate transition to community-centered care.
Looking Ahead
The findings come ahead of the 2025 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, scheduled for 25 September 2025 in New York. Global leaders are expected to use the data to shape strategies and accelerate commitments to end mental health neglect.
With 1 in 8 people worldwide living with a mental health condition, WHO stresses that the time for action is now.
Source: WHO
