Mental Illness is the World’s Leading Cause of Disability, Study Finds

Mental illness and disorders are now the leading cause of disability around the world, a finding that points to a widening gap between the need for mental health treatment and the care actually available. A major new analysis estimates nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide have lived with a mental disorder in 2023.

The Global Study Finding for Young People

The findings come from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 that drew data from 204 countries. Nearly 1.2 billion people around the world lived with a mental disorder in 2023, almost double the figure from 1990. Mental disorders have moved ahead of conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer as the top driver of years lived with disability.

Anxiety and depression account for much of the increase. Rates of major depressive disorder have risen about 24% since 2019, and anxiety disorders have climbed more than 47%.

The study found the burden of mental disorders peaks among 15-to-19-year-olds. First author Damian Santomauro, of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, noted that adolescence is a critical developmental period that shapes education, employment and relationships. He pointed to lingering COVID-19 pandemic stress and longer-term pressures such as poverty, insecurity, abuse, violence and weakening social connection as likely contributors.

The Mental Health and Addiction Connection

Mental health and substance use are closely linked. Many people living with depression, anxiety, trauma, or bipolar disorder also take alcohol or drugs, and the reverse is also true. When a mental health condition and a substance use disorder occur together, clinicians call it a co-occurring disorder, or dual diagnosis.

Rising rates of anxiety and depression matter for addiction because untreated mental health symptoms typically drive substance use, such as cannabis, and substance use can deepen those symptoms.

Dual Diagnosis & Treatment Options

Co-occurring disorders are common, and treating only one side tends to leave the other to undermine recovery. Integrated treatment uses a coordinated team to address mental and behavioral conditions at the same time, rather than separate and disconnected programs. This approach is associated with better outcomes than treating each condition on its own.

Behavioral health care ranges from outpatient therapy to residential treatment centers, depending on severity and safety. Evidence-based therapies include behavior therapy alongside trauma-focused care and any appropriate medications to reduce addictions.

Getting Help Now

If you or someone you love has a mental health condition and/or a substance use disorder, integrated care can help. Search mental health treatment facilities and dual diagnosis treatment programs and for providers who treat depression and addiction together. 

Call 800-908-4823 (Sponsored) to speak with a specialist today. You can also search our directory for comprehensive mental health and addiction treatment anywhere in the USA.

Author

Nikki Wisher, BA

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Nikki Wisher is an Atlanta-based content writer who specializes in health and wellness. After earning her BA in English, she has been writing in the health and wellness space for over a decade, with credits ranging from addiction recovery to fitness to aesthetics and skin care. This includes her inclusive running blog forallrunners.com.

Editor

Peter Lee, PhD

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history during the Cold War. His primary focus is the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century. He has published widely on how the public has used popular culture as a mechanism to address political and social shifts throughout time