High Incidence of Mental Health Disorders: Findings from a Global Study by University of Queensland and Harvard Medical School

2023-09-19 15:32:03



Al-Shaima Ahmed Farouk

Published on: Tuesday, September 19, 2023 – 6:31 PM | Last updated: Tuesday, September 19, 2023 – 6:31 PM

A scientific study co-prepared by researchers from the University of Queensland and Harvard Medical School, and published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal, found that one in two people will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime.

The study analyzed data from more than 156,000 people in 29 countries, collected between 2001 and 2022, to assess the prevalence of major mental health disorders, according to the Psychology Today mental health platform.

The study focused on 13 common mental health disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The study found that 29% of male participants and 30% of females reported that they were suffering from one condition at a time. Less than the number of disturbances in the previous ten years.

The study included 156,331 thousand people specifically, through 32 surveys in 29 countries, including 12 low- and middle-income countries, and 17 high-income countries.

The data showed that mental health problems usually appear early in life, with the peak incidence of the first appearance of mental health disorders reaching the age of 15 years, and the average age of onset is 19 years for males and 20 years for females. It confirmed that by the age of 75, the people participating in the study will Each of them suffers from a mental health illness.

The data for this study was reinforced by an online survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control for the year 2020 in the United States of America, which found that young people were most affected by loneliness, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic, and the survey indicated that young people between the ages of 18 and 24 were People of any age are more likely to suffer from mental health problems during the pandemic, and according to this survey, 63% of young people are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression.

The study also explores gender differences in terms of the most common disorders between men and women. For male respondents, the most common disorder at the time of interview was alcohol abuse, followed by depressive disorder, and for women the most common condition was major depressive disorder, followed by post-traumatic stress disorder. The study also found that women had a much higher prevalence of anxiety disorders, while men were more likely to develop addiction.

Commenting on these research findings, Dr. William Hallstein, President of ACCESS Health International, a non-profit organization that works to ensure people have access to quality health care, says, “These research findings highlight the need for early interventions to improve mental health in youth and for dedicated public health interventions and resource allocation.” To ensure appropriate and timely support is available to individuals at risk.

He added, “We need to rapidly expand the mental health care workforce to meet the influx of patients and protect current providers from burnout. We can also look for opportunities outside traditional health care settings, such as investing in community health programs and exploring how to conduct screenings and provide support, from Through schools, workplaces, religious groups and other community organizations.”

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