Rabat – According to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people now live with mental health disorders.
Conditions such as anxiety and depression not only affect individuals and families but also weigh heavily on national economies, costing an estimated $1 trillion every year.
The findings appear in two reports, World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024. The two documents shed light on areas of progress while exposing major gaps in care.
“Mental health stands among the most pressing challenges in public health,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies. No government can afford to neglect this responsibility. Mental health care must be treated as a basic right for all.”
Disorders on the rise
The WHO report notes that mental health conditions exist across all countries and age groups. Anxiety and depression remain the most common with women carrying a greater burden overall. These conditions are now the second leading cause of long-term disability worldwide.
Suicide continues to devastate families and communities. In 2021 alone, it claimed about 727,000 lives, making it one of the leading causes of death among youth. Current efforts remain too limited to meet the sustainable development goal of reducing suicide mortality by one-third by 2030. On present trends, only a 12% reduction is likely.
Limited resources and unequal care
While many governments have taken steps to strengthen policies and improve preparedness, the reports underline deep shortcomings in legislation and funding. Only 45% of countries have laws fully in line with international human rights standards.
Spending on mental health remains stagnant at a median of 2% of national health budgets, a level unchanged since 2017. Disparities are stark. For instance, high-income countries spend about $65 per person, while low-income nations spend as little as $0.04.
Worldwide, the number of mental health workers stands at just 13 per 100,000 people, with shortages most acute in poorer countries.
Hospital-based care still dominates, often through involuntary admissions, and in many cases, patients remain hospitalized for more than a year. Community-based models, which prioritize recovery and reintegration, remain rare; fewer than 10% of countries have fully embraced this approach.
Signs of progress
Despite these challenges, the WHO notes encouraging signs. Mental health support is increasingly included in emergency response programmes, rising from 39% of countries in 2020 to over 80% today. Initiatives in schools, early childhood development, and suicide prevention are also more widespread.
Integration of mental health into primary care is advancing, with most countries now meeting some of WHO’s standards. Telehealth and outpatient services are also expanding, though access remains unequal, particularly in low-income settings.
A call for urgent action
The WHO notes that current progress falls far short of the targets in its Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan. Without stronger political will, investment, and reform, the global burden of mental health disorders will continue to rise.
The organization urges governments to act now through fairer financing, rights-based legislation, sustained investment in health workers, and wider access to community-based care.
Only with such measures, the WHO concludes, can mental health be treated not as a privilege but as a fundamental right.
