WHO Warns Over 1 Billion Living With Mental Health Disorders Worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released alarming new data showing that more than 1 billion people globally are living with mental health disorders, with conditions such as anxiety and depression placing immense human, social, and economic burdens on countries. The findings, published in two new flagship reports—World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024—underscore the urgent need for governments to scale up investment and reform as the world prepares for the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health.

A Growing Global Challenge

Mental health conditions are among the most widespread health issues across all societies, affecting people of every age and income level. Anxiety and depression remain the most prevalent, and together they account for massive economic losses. WHO estimates that depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion annually, primarily through lost productivity.

“These conditions represent the second largest cause of long-term disability worldwide,” WHO reported, noting their disproportionate impact on women. The organisation warns that without urgent systemic reform, the human and financial costs will continue to rise.

Suicide: A Persistent Tragedy

The reports also highlight suicide as a devastating outcome of untreated mental health disorders. In 2021 alone, approximately 727,000 lives were lost to suicide, making it one of the leading causes of death among young people globally.

Despite international commitments, progress in reducing suicide remains far too slow. The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) calls for a one-third reduction in suicide rates by 2030, but current trends suggest only a 12% reduction will be achieved.

Economic and Social Costs

The burden of mental health disorders extends well beyond health systems. Families face rising healthcare costs, businesses grapple with absenteeism and reduced productivity, and governments lose economic growth potential. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized:

“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 as a basic right, not a privilege.”

Progress Since 2020, But Gaps Remain

The Mental Health Atlas 2024 reveals areas of progress since the COVID-19 pandemic exposed mental health vulnerabilities:

• Many countries have updated mental health policies and adopted rights-based approaches.

• Over 80% of countries now include mental health and psychosocial support in emergency responses, compared with just 39% in 2020.

• School-based mental health initiatives, suicide prevention strategies, and telehealth services are becoming more common.

• 71% of countries now integrate mental health into primary care according to WHO criteria.

However, these gains are undermined by stagnation in financing and implementation.

Stalled Investment and Legal Reform

Despite rising awareness, government spending on mental health has remained at just 2% of total health budgets globally since 2017. Inequalities are stark: high-income countries spend up to US$ 65 per person annually, while low-income countries spend as little as US$ 0.04.

Legal reforms have also lagged. Fewer than half of countries have mental health laws that fully comply with international human rights standards, leaving many patients vulnerable to discrimination, coercion, and involuntary admissions.

Systemic Shortages

Workforce and service shortages remain critical obstacles:

• The global median number of mental health workers is 13 per 100,000 people, with far lower ratios in low- and middle-income countries.

• Fewer than 10% of countries have fully transitioned to community-based mental health care.

• Reliance on psychiatric hospitals remains high, with nearly half of admissions involuntary and more than 20% lasting over a year.

• Access disparities are stark: fewer than 10% of people with psychosis in low-income countries receive care, compared to over 50% in wealthier nations.

Global Call for Urgent Action

The WHO reports make clear that without systemic transformation, countries will remain far off track from achieving the goals of the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan. WHO is calling for:

• Equitable financing to expand services.

• Legal and policy reforms to uphold human rights.

• Sustained investment in workforce training to close care gaps.

• Expansion of community-based, person-centred care to replace institutional models.

Looking Ahead

The release of these reports comes ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, set for 25 September 2025 in New York. The meeting is expected to shape global dialogue and commitments to place mental health at the centre of public health and development agendas.

For Dr Tedros and WHO, the message is clear: mental health must no longer be treated as secondary. “It is time to act with urgency to end stigma, expand access, and recognise mental health as a universal right,” he said.