Mental health is a topic that is thankfully being talked about more and more. Scientists from Australia, with the support of an international team of researchers, have examined what our future will look like in this context.

Unfortunately, their findings are very worrying. More than half of the population is expected to struggle with a mental disorder by the age of 75. Who is most at risk?

Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia decided to check what the prevalence of mental disorders would look like worldwide. Working with an international team, they analysed data from more than 150,000 adults between 2001 to 2022.

In total, people from 29 countries participated in the study including: Italy, France, Belgium, Poland, Germany and the United States. The researchers based their conclusions on the largest ever coordinated series of face-to-face interviews - the World Health Organisation's (WHO) World Mental Health Survey initiative, reads the University of Queensland’s website.

Ethnicity was not taken into account in the study. Based on the questionnaires, the researchers assessed the age and incidence risk of 13 mental disorders that can occur in people up to the age of 75. The results are not optimistic.

A team of researchers found that as many as half of world’s population, before reaching the age of 75, may suffer from a mental disorder. The onset of the first illness averages 19 years for men and 20 years for women, but the researchers point out that disorders can also be detected during childhood or adolescence.

"Lifetime morbid risk of any mental disorder as of age 75 years was 46.4% for male respondents and 53.1% for female respondents," reads the description of the study published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.

The researchers also checked what are the most common mental disorders for men and women. The latter are more likely to have depression, specific phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The former will mostly struggle with alcohol abuse, depression and specific phobia (a disabling anxiety that interferes with daily life). Young people are most at risk as mental health disorders typically first emerge in childhood, adolescence or young adulthood.

Researchers' findings on the development of mental disorders that may develop in people before the age of 75 are particularly important in this context. According to scientists, awareness of these illnesses can make us adapt our health systems accordingly, so that we can respond quickly and effectively to the mental problems of young people.

"This lends weight to the need to invest in basic neuroscience to understand why these disorders develop. An investment is also needed in mental health services with a particular focus on young people. Services need to be able to detect and treat common mental disorders promptly, and be optimised to suit patients in these critical parts of their lives," emphasise both Professor John McGrath and Professor Ronald Kessler, study authors, quoted by the University of Queensland website. The study in its entirety can be found here.

Remember, you are not alone. You can find free psychological help here.

Source: University of Queensland