Study: 50% of the world's population will have a mental health disorder by the age of 75

2023-08-12 22:50:00, Shëndeti CNA

Study: 50% of the world's population will have a mental health disorder by

It may be called the "golden age", but 1 in 2 people aged 75 and over will be affected by some sort of mental health disorder. A global study led by researchers from the Australian University of Queensland and Harvard Medical School in the USA has reached this conclusion.

Professor John McGrath from the Brain Institute at the University of Queensland, Professor Ronald Kesler from Harvard, and colleagues from 27 other countries analyzed data from more than 150,000 adults in 29 countries between 2001-2022.

Data were obtained from the largest ever coordinated series of face-to-face interviews as part of the World Health Organization's Global Mental Health Study initiative. The findings were published in The Lancet Psychiatry under the title "Advance age and cumulative risk of mental disorders: An international analysis of population surveys from 29 countries".

They included respondents from 12 low- and middle-income countries and 17 high-income countries, 85,308 women and 71,023 men. McGrath said the results show the high prevalence of mental health disorders, with half the population expected to develop at least one disorder by age 75.

"The most common were mood disorders, such as major depression or anxiety. We also discovered that the risk of some mental disorders differed by gender," he emphasizes.

What are the most common mental health disorders?

The three most common mental health disorders in women were depression; a specific phobia (anxiety that significantly interferes with the course of daily life); and post-traumatic stress (PTSD). Meanwhile, the 3 most common disorders among men were alcohol abuse; depression; and a specific phobia.

Also, researchers found that mental health disorders usually first appear in childhood, adolescence or adulthood. "The peak age of onset of the first symptoms was at 15, with an average age of onset of 19 for men and 20 for women. This underlines the need to invest in basic neuroscience, to understand the reason why these disorders develop", he said.

Kesler stated that investments are also needed in mental health services, with a special focus on young people. According to him, services should be able to detect and treat common mental disorders promptly, and be optimized to suit patients at these critical parts of their lives.

"By understanding the age at which these disorders commonly appear, we can tailor public health interventions and allocate resources to ensure that appropriate and timely support is available to all individuals at risk"- he emphasized. The researchers said the results of this study provide valuable insights into the frequency and time of onset of mental disorder based on many different populations./ Translated and adapted by CNA