Switzerland: The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening in Geneva this week for the 79th World Health Assembly, where mental health has emerged as a key agenda item among more than 75 topics under discussion.
According to the WHO, more than one billion people worldwide—approximately one in eight of the global population—are currently living with a mental health condition, a figure that continues to rise. The organisation has warned that young people are disproportionately affected, while men face higher suicide rates and women experience higher levels of anxiety and depression.
Despite the scale of the crisis, global funding for mental health remains limited. The WHO reports that median government spending on mental health accounts for only around 2% of national health budgets, with significant disparities between income groups. In low-income countries, spending averages just $0.04 per capita, compared to $0.34 in lower-middle-income countries and $65.89 in high-income countries, according to the WHO Mental Health Atlas 2024.
The WHO categorises mental health conditions into several major groups, including mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder; anxiety disorders including generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder and phobias; psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia; and trauma-related conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder. Additional categories include eating disorders, personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dissociative disorders and substance use disorders.
Globally, anxiety and depressive disorders remain the most prevalent. The WHO estimates that around 359 million people suffer from anxiety disorders, while approximately 332 million live with depression. Anxiety cases have increased by more than 50% since 1990, with young people aged 15–19 particularly affected.
Data from WHO and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) show regional variation in mental health prevalence. The Americas report 15.6% of the population affected, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean (14.7%), Europe (14.2%), Southeast Asia (13.2%), Western Pacific (11.7%) and Africa (10.9%).
Mental health conditions have become one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, accounting for roughly one in every six years lived with disability globally.
The WHO also highlights the scale of suicide as a public health concern, with approximately 740,000 deaths annually—equivalent to one death every 43 seconds. Suicide is the 17th leading cause of death globally and the third leading cause among people aged 15–29, rising to the second leading cause among young women in that age group. Globally, male suicide rates remain significantly higher than female rates.
WHO data also shows that only one in four individuals with anxiety disorders receives treatment, while depression remains a leading contributor to disability worldwide. If untreated, depression can increase the risk of suicide.
At the country level, IHME data indicates that anxiety prevalence is highest in Portugal, followed by Brazil and Iran, while depressive disorders are most prevalent in Syria, followed by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The World Health Assembly is expected to review policy measures aimed at improving mental health funding, expanding access to care, and addressing widening global inequalities in treatment and diagnosis.