Mental disorders leading cause of disability, surpassing cardiovascular disease, cancer: Study

New Delhi ( Pallavi Srivastava) :

The world's burden of mental disorders have more than doubled since 1990, and they are now the leading cause of disability globally, overtaking cardiovascular disease, cancer and musculoskeletal conditions, according to a new study published in The Lancet journal.

Researchers from The University of Queensland and Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) in Australia and the US' University of Washington found that nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2023, nearly double the number in 1990.

The increase was largely driven by rising numbers of anxiety and depression, and people aged 15-19 and women are disproportionately impacted, they said.

In 2023, 620 million women of all ages were living with a mental disorder compared to 552 million men of all ages globally. Mental disorders also accounted for more than 17 per cent of all years lived with disability worldwide.

In India, age-standardised prevalence of anxiety disorders across both sexes was almost 2,592 per one lakh population in 1990, which rose by 123.5 per cent to 5,793 per one lakh population in 2023. Prevalence of the disorders increased among women by 136.7 per cent during 1990-2023, compared to 102 per cent among men.

Trends from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2023 were analysed for 12 mental disorders, including anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and eating disorders.

Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide had mental disorders in 2023, reflecting a 95.5% increase since 1990, a new study has found.The largest increases were in anxiety and depression, which were also the most common disorders in 2023. In third place was a residual category of personality disorders not accompanied by other mental or substance use disorders.