New Delhi

Mentaldisorders have become the leading cause of disability worldwide, overtaking cardiovascular diseases, cancer and musculoskeletal disorders, according to a major global study published in The Lancet.

Researchers from Australia and the US found that nearly 1.2 billion people were living with a mental disorder in 2023, almost double the number recorded in 1990. Anxiety and depression accounted for much of the increase.

The study found women are disproportionately affected, with 620 million women living with mental disorders globally in 2023, compared to 552 million men. Teenagers aged 15-19 recorded the highest burden worldwide.

Researchers said the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with long-term factors such as poverty, violence, social isolation and insecurity, are driving the surge. They called for coordinated global action and stronger mental health support systems.

The World Health Organization had earlier estimated that more than one billion people globally were living with a mental health condition in 2021, with anxiety and depression making up nearly two-thirds of cases.

India has witnessed a sharp rise in anxiety disorders over the past three decades, according to a new study published in The Lancet. Researchers found that age-standardised prevalence of anxiety disorders across both sexes rose from nearly 2,592 per one lakh population in 1990 to 5,793 per one lakh in 2023, an increase of 123.5 per cent. The rise was steeper among women, where prevalence increased by 136.7 per cent during the period, compared to 102 per cent among men. Researchers said young people and women remain especially vulnerable as social stress, economic insecurity and weakening social connections continue to intensify.

The study linked the worsening burden to factors such as poverty, abuse, domestic violence, inequality, climate-related stress, pandemics and disasters. Experts stressed the need for stronger mental healthcare systems, improved surveillance and greater investment in counselling and psychiatric services in low and middle-income countries like India.