Trending Now - Global Mental Health Crisis: 1.2 Billion Affected Worldwide

WHO:

CNN - Dr. Damian Santomauro, first and lead study author, associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland in Australia.

CNN - Paul Bolton, senior scientist in the department of mental health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

CNN - Dr. Robert Trestman, chair of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.

CNN - Dr. Arthur Evans, CEO of the American Psychological Association.

Al Jazeera - World Health Organization (WHO).

WHAT:

CNN - Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide had mental disorders in 2023, reflecting a 95.5% increase since 1990.

CNN - The largest increases were in anxiety (158% rise) and depression (131% increase) compared with 1990.

Al Jazeera - One in eight people globally lives with a mental health condition.

Al Jazeera - One person dies by suicide every 43 seconds, with approximately 740,000 suicides reported annually.

Al Jazeera - Mental health disorders account for roughly one in every six years lived with disability (YLDs) worldwide.

WHERE:

CNN - The study analyzed data from 204 countries and territories.

Al Jazeera - The WHO is convening in Geneva, Switzerland for the 79th World Health Assembly.

WHEN:

CNN - The study was published in 2023.

Al Jazeera - The WHO Mental Health Atlas 2024 collected data from 75 countries.

WHY:

CNN - The pandemic's impact on mental health continues, with anxiety and depression remaining elevated.

Al Jazeera - Mental health is chronically underfunded, with median government spending globally on mental health at just two percent of health budgets.

HOW:

CNN - The research is an analysis of data from the 2023 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Al Jazeera - Treatment in low- and middle-income countries is scarcer, with spending on mental health ranging from $0.04 per capita in low-income countries to $65.89 in high-income countries.

(UPDATED May 22, 2026 06:24 UTC)

A recent study published by the World Health Organization reveals that nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide experienced mental disorders in 2023, marking a staggering 95.5% increase since 1990, with anxiety and depression seeing the largest rises. The research, which analyzed data from 204 countries, highlights that one in eight people globally lives with a mental health condition, and one person dies by suicide every 43 seconds, totaling approximately 740,000 suicides each year. Despite the ongoing impact of the pandemic on mental health and chronic underfunding—where median government spending on mental health is just two percent of health budgets—the need for effective treatment remains critical, especially in low- and middle-income countries.