WHO: Over 1 billion people suffer from mental health problems, and services urgently need to be scaled up.

According to new data released by the World Health Organization on Monday, more than 1 billion people worldwide suffer from mental health problems, and conditions such as anxiety and depression exact a heavy toll on human life and the economy.

© WHO/Christopher Black Establishing community mental health teams is one way to deliver mental health care.

Mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, are prevalent in all countries and communities, affecting people of all ages and income levels. These mental health conditions are the second leading cause of long-term disability, significantly impacting healthy living, driving up healthcare costs for affected people and families, and resulting in significant economic losses worldwide.

The latest findings from the "World's State of Mental Health" and "Mental Health Atlas 2024" reports show progress in some areas, but significant gaps remain in addressing global mental health challenges.

These two reports are crucial tools for developing national strategies and shaping the global dialogue ahead of the 2025 United Nations High-level Conference on Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being, to be held in New York on September 25, 2025.

“Strengthening the provision of mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Investing in mental health services means investing in people, communities, and economies. No country can afford to neglect this investment. Every government and every leader has a responsibility to take urgent action to ensure that mental health care is a fundamental right for all, not a privilege.”

State of the World’s Mental Health

According to the World State of Mental Health, the prevalence of mental disorders may vary by sex, but women are generally disproportionately affected. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental disorders among both men and women.

Suicide remains a significant problem, claiming an estimated 727,000 lives in 2021 alone. It is a leading cause of death among young people in all countries and socioeconomic settings. Despite global efforts, progress in reducing suicide mortality has been minimal, falling short of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing suicide rates by one-third by 2030. Current trends suggest only a 12% reduction by 2030.

Mental disorders have a significant economic impact. They incur substantial health care costs and far greater indirect costs, particularly lost productivity. Depression and anxiety disorders alone cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion annually.

WHO notes that these findings urgently require sustained investment, focused efforts, and multisectoral collaboration to expand access to mental health care, reduce stigma, and address the root causes of mental health problems.

Action Gaps

Since 2020, countries have made significant progress in strengthening mental health policies and programs. Many countries have updated policies, committed to addressing patients' fundamental rights, and strengthened preparedness for the provision of mental health services and psychosocial support during health emergencies.

However, this momentum has not translated into legal reform. Only a few countries have enacted or implemented mental health legislation that prioritizes patient rights, and only 45% have fully assessed their laws against international human rights standards.

The report reveals a worrying stagnation in investment in mental health. Median government spending on mental health accounts for only 2% of the total health budget, a figure that has remained unchanged since 2017. Disparities are significant between countries; high-income countries spend as much as US$65 per person on mental health services, while low-income countries spend only US$0.04. The global median number of mental health workers is only 13 per 100,000 people. Low- and middle-income countries face an acute shortage of such workers.

Progress in reforming and developing mental health services has been slow. Less than 10% of countries have fully transitioned to community-based care models, and most are still in the early stages of transition. Hospitalization continues to rely heavily on psychiatric institutions, with nearly half of hospitalizations being involuntary and over 20% of stays exceeding a year.

Progress has been made in integrating mental health into primary health care, with 71% of countries meeting at least three of the five WHO criteria. However, significant gaps remain. Only 22 countries provided data sufficient to estimate service coverage for mental illness. In low-income countries, less than 10% of patients receive treatment, while in high-income countries, over 50% do, highlighting the urgent need to expand access and strengthen services.

Encouragingly, most countries report implementing significant initiatives to promote mental health, such as early childhood development and implementing mental health and suicide prevention programs in schools. Currently, over 80% of countries integrate mental health services and psychosocial support into emergency response efforts, compared to only 39% in 2020. While outpatient mental health services and telemedicine are becoming increasingly accessible, access remains uneven.

WHO calls on governments and global partners to urgently scale up efforts to achieve a systemic transformation of mental health systems worldwide.