Everyone has a body, and, by extension, recognizes that body sometimes needs a doctor. But the mind? It’s been more neglected. Although caring for your mental health is becoming more common, all too often it’s still far from an accepted priority.
Now, a global study published in The Lancet Psychiatry points to some troubling figures: By the age of 75, one in two people will develop a mental health disorder. That’s half of everyone you know!
Researchers analyzed data from more than 150,000 adult participants in 29 countries over a 21-year period, relying on face-to-face interviews from the World Health Organization’s Mental Health Survey Initiative. Such a broad, multinational look at mental health hasn’t been taken since 2007.
The most common mood disorders were anxiety and depression, and the study noted there were some gender differences. For women, the most common mental health disorders were depression, a specific phobia or fear of something that interfered with their daily life, and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
For men, the most common disorders were alcohol abuse, depression or a specific phobia.
The scientists noted that mental health illnesses typically began to emerge in childhood, adolescence or even young adulthood. The earliest “peak” for the onset of symptoms was 15 years old, with a median age of 20 for women and 19 for men.
In short, the odds that you know someone — or several someones — who have dealt with anxiety or depression are very high. At least folks who grapple with mental health illnesses can take comfort knowing they are far from alone.