Mental illness has become a leading global health crisis, with nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide living with a mental disorder in 2023—a 95.5% increase since 1990, according to the Global Burden of Disease study published in the Lancet. The research examined 12 mental disorders across 204 countries and territories, finding significant increases in anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and eating disorders.
The burden falls disproportionately on women and younger populations. For the first time, peak prevalence has shifted to the 15–19 age group, rather than middle age, meaning mental impairment begins when education, social connections, and personal identity are being formed. Contributing factors include economic crises, wars, political instability, loneliness, exposure to violence, social gaps, high treatment costs, the coronavirus pandemic, and social media effects.
The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact
The coronavirus pandemic marked a turning point. While anxiety and depression rates were rising before the pandemic, depression rose significantly during and after the crisis and has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Anxiety reached peak levels during the pandemic and remained elevated in 2023.
Treatment Gap Widens
The expansion in diagnoses has not been matched by sufficient growth in mental health services. Researchers emphasize that the gap between need and available treatment continues to deepen. In Israel, a national survey by the Brookdale Institute conducted at three time points since the beginning of the war found that in January 2024, 41% of respondents crossed a clinical threshold for anxiety, depression, or post-trauma symptoms. In May 2024, the rate dropped to 32%, then rose again to 35% in October 2024. Among those crossing a clinical threshold in January, many had not improved by October: 69% with depression, 65% with post-trauma, and 52% with anxiety remained affected. Additionally, 25% of those who had not met clinical thresholds in earlier measurements became new cases.
A State Comptroller’s report estimated about 900,000 people reported post-trauma, depression, or anxiety symptoms at moderate or severe levels but did not seek treatment. The average waiting time to receive mental care in health funds was about 6.5 months in March and April 2024.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/mind-and-spirit/article-897176