Since the 1990s, the number of people with mental illness has doubled worldwide. It reached 1.2 billion people in 2023, an increase of 95.51% according to a new study of LancetAnxiety and depression have seen the most rapid increase and are now the most widespread mental illnesses. This extensive research also shows how different mental illnesses have evolved according to the sex, age, and place of residence of patients.
In total, 12 illnesses (including anxiety disorders, major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, conduct disorder, ADHD, anorexia, bulimia, idiopathic developmental intellectual disability, and a final category of residual illnesses) were examined in 204 countries worldwide. In the global population, the incidence of each of these 12 illnesses has increased since 1990, with an increase of 1,581 per 1,000,000 for anxiety and 1,311 per 1,000 for depression. The least prevalent illnesses are anorexia, bulimia, and schizophrenia. However, they are not rare, affecting approximately 4 million, 14 million, and 26 million people, respectively. While women are affected by most of these pathologies, some affect men more, such as autism, personality disorders, ADHD and conduct disorder (which is characterized by a repetitive pattern of behavior that violates the rights of others).
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