There are those who are told to react, those to go out more, those to stop thinking about it. There are those who hide what they feel for fear of being judged, those who wait months before asking for help and those who, even when they find the courage to do so, are unable to access a treatment path. Yet, when we talk about mental health, we are not talking about a marginal problem, nor about a fragility that affects a few people. Around the world, nearly 1.2 billion people live with a mental disorder. An impressive number, almost double compared to 1990, which shows how urgent it is to take one of the great health and social issues of our time seriously. The situation is illustrated by a study published on The Lancet in May 2026, carried out as part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, with the contribution of researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the University of Queensland. According to the analysis, mental disorders are now the main cause of years lived with disability worldwide, with particularly serious consequences among adolescents and women.
Data that takes on even more important significance on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated on 10 October. An anniversary that this year focuses on the experiences of people living with mental health problems, with a precise message: listen to their voices and involve them in decisions regarding treatments and services.
Mental disorders have almost doubled in just over thirty years
The study, among the largest analyzes carried out on the topic so far, examined the trend of 12 mental disorders in 204 countries and territories, considering different age groups and the differences between men and women in the period between 1990 and 2023. The main result is a 95.5% increase in the estimated number of cases compared to 1990. A figure that must be interpreted correctly: part of the absolute increase also reflects the growth and aging of the world population. However, over the same period, age-standardized prevalence also increased by 24.2%, indicating that the phenomenon cannot be explained by demographic changes alone. Anxiety and major depression contribute significantly to the overall burden of mental disorders. The consequences do not only concern the symptoms, but also the possibility of studying, working, cultivating relationships and dealing with daily life.
In 2023, mental disorders accounted for more than 17% of all years lived with disability worldwide. We are therefore talking about conditions that can profoundly compromise the quality of life, even when they are not visible from the outside.
Anxiety and depression after Covid: why discomfort has increased
The years of the pandemic marked a particularly delicate transition. According to the data reported in the analysis, compared to 2019, the age-standardized prevalence of major depression increased by approximately 24%, while that of anxiety disorders grew by over 47%, reaching particularly high levels in the years following the health emergency. But it would be simplistic to attribute everything to Covid. The isolation, uncertainty and social consequences of the pandemic have been intertwined with already existing problems: economic precariousness, poverty, violence, insecurity and the weakening of social relations. Mental health, in fact, does not depend exclusively on individual characteristics. The conditions in which we live, study and work can also have a profound impact on our psychological well-being. And that means it’s not enough to ask people to become more resilient. It is also necessary to intervene on the conditions that fuel the discomfort.
Young people and women pay the highest price
One of the most worrying findings concerns adolescents. The study identifies the age group between 15 and 19 as one of the moments in which the burden of mental disorders is particularly high. During childhood, some neurodevelopmental conditions and behavioral disorders prevail, while during adolescence anxiety and depression take on an increasingly important role. It is a delicate transition, in which emotional difficulties can be intertwined with personal changes, relationships, social expectations and school pressures.
Recognizing signs of distress early and ensuring adequate support can make a real difference. Gender differences are also significant. In 2023, the study estimates, 620 million women were living with a mental disorder, compared to 552 million men. A disparity that cannot be read only in individual terms. Factors that may contribute to the greater burden of disease in women include exposure to domestic violence and sexual abuse, caregiving responsibilities, and economic and social inequalities. Once again, the numbers tell something that goes beyond the health of the individual and concerns the functioning of the entire society.
“You just have to react, think positively”: the weight of prejudices and those who continue to minimize
However, there is another obstacle, less visible than economic difficulties and the lack of services, which continues to weigh on mental health: the way we judge the suffering of others. “It’s just a period”, “you have to think positively”, “you have everything, you have no reason to feel bad”, “at your age you can’t be depressed”. These are phrases that many people hear repeated when they try to talk about what they are experiencing. They are often spoken without malice, perhaps with the intention of encouraging. But they can have the opposite effect: making the sufferer feel misunderstood, guilty or even exaggerated. Because if a person has a broken leg, it is unlikely that anyone will suggest that they walk and stop complaining. However, when it comes to depression, anxiety or other mental disorders, there are still those who think that a little willpower, a holiday or a more positive attitude is enough. Depression is not simple sadness. An anxiety disorder is not the same as being a little worried. And asking a psychologist or psychiatrist for help doesn’t mean you’re weak.
Of course, not every moment of sadness, stress or worry corresponds to a mental disorder. But this does not authorize us to belittle a person’s discomfort, nor to decide from the outside how serious what they are experiencing is. Prejudices can have real consequences. Stigma, fear of judgment and lack of knowledge of mental disorders can hinder seeking help and delay access to treatment, as highlighted by the World Health Organization. We should therefore learn to listen without judging, without comparing suffering, without demanding that those who are ill must continually demonstrate that they are ill enough to deserve understanding.
