Facts on Mental Health

Good mental health is related to mental and psychological well-being. The following are the facts on mental health:

• The global economy loses about US$ 1 trillion per year in productivity due to depression and anxiety.
• Mental, neurological and substance use disorders make up 10% of the global burden of disease and 30% of non-fatal disease burden.
• Around 1 in 5 of the world's children and adolescents have a mental disorder.
• Depression is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting 264 million people.
• About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14.
• Almost 800 000 people die by suicide every year; 1 person dies from suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals aged 15-29 years.
• Around 1 in 9 people in settings affected by conflict have a moderate or severe mental disorder.
• People with severe mental disorders die 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population.
• Rates of mental health workers vary from below 2 per 100 000 population in low-income countries to over 70 per 100 000 in high-income countries.
• Less than half of the 139 countries that have mental health policies and plans report having these aligned with human rights conventions.

Source: The World Health Organization