Study Finds Highest Mental Disorder Burden Among Adolescents Aged 15-19 - Video

India's mental health burden is rising at an alarming pace, with anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders increasing sharply over the past three decades, according to a new analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study published in The Lancet.

The findings paint a concerning picture for a country with one of the world's largest youth populations and limited mental health infrastructure. Between 1990 and 2023, anxiety disorders in India surged by 123%, while major depressive disorder prevalence rose from 2,147 to nearly 2,800 cases per lakh population. Chronic low-grade depression, known as dysthymia, also increased, while schizophrenia rates climbed from 316 to 321 cases per lakh.

Globally, an estimated 1.2 billion people now live with mental health conditions—almost double the number recorded in 1990. While population growth and ageing explain part of the rise, researchers say the increase reflects a broader shift in mental wellbeing.

Dr. Damian Santomauro, lead author of the study and Associate Professor at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, noted that global mental disorder cases increased by 95.5% between 1990 and 2023. Even after adjusting for population growth and ageing, age-standardised prevalence rates rose by 24.2%, indicating a genuine increase in mental health problems.

The study identified South Asia as one of the regions experiencing the largest growth in mental health burden. Among women and girls, the impact was particularly severe, with age-standardised disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates increasing by 44.2% between 1990 and 2023.

Researchers believe multiple factors may be contributing, including the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty, social inequality, domestic violence, conflict, climate-related stress, and declining real-world social connections in an increasingly digital society.

One of the most striking findings was that mental health burden now peaks among adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, driven largely by rising rates of anxiety and major depression. Historically, mental disorders were more common in middle age.

The findings underscore an urgent reality: mental health is no longer a silent issue but a public health priority demanding immediate attention.

REFERENCE: Global Burden of Disease study; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the University of Queensland; The Lancet; https://www.thelancet.com/gbd?elsca1=TW&elsca2=socialmedia