Across the world mental disorders have doubled since 1990. Mental disorders are now the leading cause of disability globally, overtaking cancer and cardiovascular disease. The burden of mental disorder peaked amongst youth aged 15-19 years old, and women had higher rates than men
https://news.uq.edu.au/2026-05-worlds-burden-mental-disorders-doubled-1990
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Mental disorders are now the leading cause of disability globally, overtaking cancer and cardiovascular disease, new research has found.
The study, conducted by The University of Queensland, University of Washington and Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR), found nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2023, nearly double the number in 1990.
Associate Professor Damian Santomauro, from UQ’s School of Public Health and QCMHR, said researchers examined the health burden of 12 mental disorders – including anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and eating disorders – and assessed global trends between 1990 to 2023.
Dr Santomauro said researchers used the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) metric to analyse mental disorder burden, where one DALY equals one healthy year of life lost.
“Mental disorders have been a leading cause of DALYs globally for decades, but these findings show we are entering an even more concerning phase of worsening mental disorder burden,’’ he said.
“When compared with other disease groups, mental disorders were the fifth leading cause of DALYs in 2023, up from 12th in 1990, led mostly by increases in anxiety disorders and major depression.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00519-2/abstract
easiest way to not have to work and game the system. it’s invisible and very hard to quantify. a tale as old as time.
*diagnosis* of mental disorders has doubled since 1990
Let’s definitely continue to live in this stupid fashion with these daft systems. then.
Mostly a consequence of modern lifestyle which has changed drastically in a short amount of time from our natural lifestyle. We are not wired to live like this.
We’ve been evidently going in the wrong direction for several decades now. We should backtrack a bit
The thing we stigmatized diagnosing and revealing for years increased when some of that stigma started to die?
Tell me more
One part the science has gotten better , One part our air,food and drink is poisoned with pollution.
Is it that mental disorders have doubled since 1990 or could it also largely be that the world now diagnoses people more efficiently with mental disorders? Things like anxiety and depression were not being diagnosed in the 1990’s like they are today, and we screen younger people a lot better/more.
Living in the world as it currently stands and NOT having a mental disorder should in itself be a mental disorder.
The 60s didn’t have autism or anything like that. They just threw the “different ones” into asylums and tried torturing them into being normal
I’m getting the feeling that society isn’t compatible with what is actually normal if you’re not forced to conform.
That was a shockingly sloppy article about some sloppy research.
At what rate has the testing for those disorders increased in the same time?
Of course the diagnosis rates for women are higher. Every time we go to the doctor with legitimate issues we’re told it’s anxiety.
Modern life is not conducive to robust mental health.
I also think there’s something to be said for increased mental health awareness, which is a good thing, leading more people to become obsessed with their mental health and identifying with mental illnesses.
I’m sure part of this is methodology, and part of this is the sorry state of the world. It’s empirical, but haven’t you noticed how everyone is on the verge on a mental breakdown?
Or maybe a majority of mental disorders don’t actually exist
Very worrisome. I wonder how AI and parasocial bonds with it will influence the mental health crisis. I would be surprised if it turns out to be helpful.
Why is everyone “what about back in the 60s?”
What are we going to do about all the health problems society has *today*.
How about a toxic environment (both literally and figuratively) where it would be difficult for people for any and all people, representing those of all mental abilities and predispositions, to be healthy?
I seriously think work stress and financial stress are the leading cause . Productivity is through the roof , yet the greedy private equity have to extract MORE MORE MORE from us . It’s disgusting. We should be working less hours now and whatever the opposite of enshitificstion is , that should be happening .
More people are actually going to therapy and finding out…
Also, literally everyone has depression, anxiety and many have PTSD.
All of the above are considered ‘mental disorders’
This is very misleading, imo.
Also, more women go to therapy than men, so that’s likely why they have higher percentages.
Over diagnosing due to monetary gain potential. Happened to me.
I feel like humans and our society have evolved so far beyond the basic needs for food and shelter that our brains haven’t caught up, especially in the current age of smart phones and global connectivity. The world is such a complicated and fast moving place, but modern stimuli still triggers our fight or flight instinct as if we were being stalked by saber tooth tigers in the savanna.
I don’t think I’m the only one who sometimes wishes that the world would just slow some and be a little simpler than it is.
It’s like the average human brain is mismatched with the modern world and society and it’s causing a lot of issues.