Did you know mental illness is more prevalent than cancer, diabetes or heart disease?
Behavioral health disorders are now #1 cause of disability worldwide, surpassing all other illnesses.
- Click here to print a copy of “Mental Illness by the Numbers.”
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The Facts About Mental Illness
Disability and mortality resulting from mental illness around the world may be underestimated by more than a third
it’s been estimated that mental illness for 21.2% of years of life lived with disability worldwide.
But a new analysis suggests mental illness may account for 32.4% of the burden.
10%
20%
30%
40%
NEW statistics suggest mental illness may account for 32.4% of the global burden of mental illness vs. 21.2% previously estimated—more than a third higher.
Source: Vigo D, Thornicroft G, Atun R. Estimating the True Global Burden of Mental Illness. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016; 3: 171-78.
Top ten sources of time lost to disability globally from all medical causes by percentage
Mental and behavioral disorders26%
Musculoskeletal diseases14%
Neurological and sense-organ conditions13%
Infectious diseases8%
Nutritional deficiencies7%
Respiratory diseases7%
Injuries6%
Endocrine, blood, and immune disorders; diabetes4%
Cardiovascular diseases3%
Genitourinary diseases3%
Mental and behavioral disorders account for the most time lost to disability—more than any other kind of disease.
Source: World Health Organization, 2012.
Mental Illness by the Numbers
1 in 4
people
around the world suffer from mental disorders — more than cancer, diabetes or heart disease.
50%
teens at risk
Half of those with mental disorders show signs of the disease by age 14, but it often takes more than 10 years to get treatment.
450 million
people
worldwide have some type of mental disorder.90 suicides
every hour
Nearly 2,200 people/day (800,000/year) die by suicide—90% related to mental disorders.
360,000 people
with mental illness are housed in under-equipped US jails 35,000 are in hospitals
Inadequate Healthcare
Mental illness accounts for 20% of the global burden of disease. Only 3% of the world’s healthcare budgets goes to mental health needs
$2.5 trillion/year
in costs
Spent directly and indirectly on mental illness. We will spend $6 trillion by 2030 worldwide, more than heart disease, cancer and diabetes