According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over one billion people worldwide live with various mental health disorders, with anxiety and depression being the most prevalent. These issues inflict substantial damage on both human well-being and the global economy. Experts in Russia also confirm a noticeable increase in mental health problems across all age groups. Potential causes cited include information overload, social upheavals, as well as increased life expectancy and more thorough diagnostic practices.
Key Findings from WHO Reports
The WHO has released two comprehensive reports: `Mental Health in the Modern World` and `Mental Health Atlas 2024.` These reports state that over a billion people currently live with various mental illnesses. Notably, from 2011 to 2021, the increase in the number of such diseases outpaced global population growth. WHO reports do not single out specific countries but present aggregated data collected from 144 member states, including the Russian Federation.
Prevalence and Economic Impact
According to WHO estimates, in 2021, approximately 400 million people aged 15 and over suffered from alcohol-related disorders, and in 2022, more than 64 million people had mental health issues caused by drug use. In 2021, nearly 57 million people were diagnosed with `dementia,` and over 24 million with `epilepsy.` The most common conditions identified by the WHO are anxiety and depressive disorders, which accounted for over two-thirds of all reported mental health issues in 2021. The highest incidence is observed in the 20–29 age group.
The reports emphasize that mental disorders are the second leading cause of permanent disability, after neurological diseases, and a key factor in the loss of healthy life years. These conditions are widespread regardless of country, age, or income level. One of the most tragic consequences is suicide: in 2021, 727,000 people died by suicide, making it the leading cause of death among youth during that period. Furthermore, mental health disorders inflict immense economic damage. Direct treatment costs are high, but indirect costs due to reduced productivity are significantly greater. For instance, depression and anxiety disorders alone cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion annually.
Challenges and Regional Disparities
However, only 9% of people suffering from depression receive adequate treatment. The WHO identified a worrying `gap` between affluent and low-income countries: in low-income states, less than 10% of those in need receive help, whereas in high-income countries, this figure exceeds 50%. On average globally, 71% of people with psychosis receive no medical assistance at all.
Russian Context: Expert Insights
The Russian Ministry of Health did not comment on the WHO data. Nevertheless, Svetlana Shport, the chief freelance psychiatrist of the Ministry of Health, previously stated that around 4 million people in Russia suffer from similar disorders, with two-thirds experiencing depression and anxiety.
Important: Over 85% of medications for mental illnesses in Russia are purchased independently.
Roman Suleymanov, an associate professor at the RUDN University Psychiatry Department, confirms the global increase in mental disorders across all age groups. He even suggests that their prevalence in Russia might be higher than in other developed countries, attributing this to socioeconomic factors such as «various, often catastrophic, social crises and cataclysms of the 20th century, and currently – the special military operation.» He also noted that psychiatric pathology can accumulate across generations during unfavorable historical development, leading to more severe forms of personality disorders and abnormal behaviors. Suleymanov also points out that Russians less frequently seek psychiatric and psychological help due to historical stigmatization and fear of psychiatry, as well as the insufficient development of psychotherapy institutions in the country. Overall, he states that information overload has become «the most powerful challenge» to the mental health of residents in almost all developed countries, especially children and adolescents, creating «a fertile ground for a range of mental disorders» whose destructive impact on society in the near future is yet unknown.
Daria Yausheva, a psychologist at SberHealth, adds that the increase in patients with mental disorders could also be linked to improved detection. She notes that the latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases now includes `mild` forms of disorders, which influences statistics. Furthermore, increased life expectancy and an aging population naturally contribute to a rise in diagnoses such as dementia. Ms. Yausheva expresses confidence that people with mental disorders in Russia can receive quality and timely assistance. She mentions the state support system, including psycho-neurological dispensaries, psychiatric hospitals, residential care homes, and confidential telephone helplines, as well as the development of private clinics. Modern telemedicine technologies, she says, also allow for online consultations with specialists.
