Half the World Will Face Mental Health Disorder in Their Lifetime, Study Finds
A new research study by teams from The University of Queensland and Harvard Medical School has found that one in two people will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime, Neuroscience News reports.
The groundbreaking global study analyzed data from over 150,000 adults in 29 countries between 2001 and 2022, obtained from the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Survey initiative. The survey was the largest-ever coordinated series of face-to-face interviews, with data obtained over two decades.
Lead author Professor John McGrath from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute explained that the results demonstrate how prevalent mental health disorders truly are, with 50% of the population developing at least one disorder by the age of 75.
What mental disorder was most common? Mood disorders, like major (clinical) depression and anxiety. “We also found the risk of certain mental disorders differed by sex,” McGrath explained.
Women were most likely to experience the following conditions:
- Depression
- Specific phobia (debilitating anxiety that interferes with daily life)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
The three most common mental disorders impacting men:
- Alcohol abuse
- Depression
- Specific phobia
Mental health conditions typically emerge in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. “The peak age of first onset was at 15 years old, with a median age of 19 for men and 20 for women,” said McGrath.
Professor Ronald Kessler from Harvard Medical School emphasized the need to focus on young people: “By understanding the age at which these disorders commonly arise, we can tailor public health interventions and allocate resources to ensure that appropriate and timely support is available to individuals at risk.”
Read the full article here.
Photo by Varun Gaba on Unsplash