The story so far
More than 1 billion people are living with mental health disorders, according to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) recently. These conditions include anxiety and depression among others that are taking an immense human and economic toll. The WHO has said in its report that while many countries have bolstered their mental health policies and programmes, greater investment and action are needed globally to scale up services to protect and promote people’s mental health.
Why is mental health important?
Mental health conditions adversely affect people of all ages and income levels. They represent the second biggest reason for long-term disability, contributing to loss of healthy life. They drive up health-care costs for affected people and families while inflicting substantial economic losses on a global scale. “Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. The findings also underscore the urgent need for sustained investment, stronger prioritisation, and multi-sectoral collaboration to expand access to mental health care, reduce stigma, and tackle the root causes of mental health conditions.
What are the key findings?
The new findings published in two reports – World mental health today and Mental Health Atlas 2024 – highlight some areas of progress while exposing significant gaps in addressing mental health conditions worldwide. The report shows that while prevalence of mental health disorders can vary by sex, women are disproportionately impacted overall. Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common types of mental health disorders among both men and women. Suicide remains “a devastating outcome”, claiming an estimated 7,27,000 lives in 2021 alone. It is a leading cause of death among young people across all countries and socioeconomic contexts. Despite global efforts, progress in reducing suicide mortality is too low to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of a one-third reduction in suicide rates by 2030. On the current trajectory, only a 12% reduction will be achieved by that deadline.
Additionally, the economic impact of mental health disorders is staggering. While health-care costs are substantial, the indirect costs – particularly in lost productivity – are far greater. Depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion each year. The 2024 Mental Health Atlas found that since 2020, countries have been making significant strides in strengthening their mental health policies and planning.
What are the flaws in the mental care environment?
While many countries have updated their policies, adopted rights-based approaches, and enhanced preparedness for mental health and psychosocial support during health emergencies, this momentum has not translated into legal reform, states the report. Fewer countries have adopted or enforced rights-based mental health legislation, and only 45% of countries evaluated laws in full compliance with international human rights standards.
The report reveals a concerning stagnation in mental health investment. Median government spending on mental health remains at just 2% of total health budgets – unchanged since 2017. Disparities between countries are stark; while high-income countries spend up to $65 per person on mental health, low-income countries spend as little as $0.04. The global median number of mental health workers stands at 13 per 100,000 people, with extreme shortages in low- and middle-income countries.
Reform and development of mental health services is progressing slowly. Fewer than 10% of countries have fully transitioned to community-based care models, with most countries still in the early stages of transition. Inpatient care continues to rely heavily on psychiatric hospitals, with nearly half of admissions occurring involuntarily and over 20% lasting longer than a year.
Integration of mental health into primary care is advancing, with 71% of countries meeting at least three of five WHO criteria. However, data gaps remain; only 22 countries provided sufficient data to estimate service coverage for psychosis. In low-income countries fewer than 10% of affected individuals receive care, compared to over 50% in higher-income nations – highlighting an urgent need to expand access and strengthen service delivery.
What is India’s status on mental health?
According to a senior Health Ministry official, stigma and reluctance to seek help and treatment and lack of manpower remain the major concerns in the sector.
“There has been significant infrastructure development, the national tele-mental health programme has expanded, educational development is happening at a fast pace and focused work is being done to create awareness about mental health and the treatment,’’ he said.
However, Anil Bansal, member, Delhi Medical Association, noted that India’s direct mental health budget has remained at roughly ₹1,000 crore for recent fiscal years, with FY 2025-26 allocating ₹1,004 crore. This constitutes just over 1% of the Ministry’s budget, with significant portions going to central institutions and programmes. “Adequate funding for community-based programmes and the effective utilisation of allocated funds is still a concern,’’ he said. He added that as per available data, India has a significant shortfall of mental health professionals, with roughly 0.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, far below the WHO’s recommended ratio of 3 per 100,000 people.
What is the way ahead?
The report states that most countries have functional mental health promotion initiatives such as early childhood development, school-based mental health and suicide prevention programmes. Over 80% of countries now offer mental health and psychosocial support as part of emergency responses, up from 39% in 2020.
Outpatient mental health services and tele-health are becoming more available, though access remains uneven.
While there have been some encouraging developments, the latest data shows that countries remain off track to achieve the targets set in WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan.
WHO calls on governments and global partners to urgently intensify efforts toward systemic transformation of mental health systems worldwide. This includes equitable financing of mental health services, legal and policy reform to uphold human rights, sustained investment in the mental health workforce and expansion of community-based, person-centred care.
The reports also serve as critical tools to inform national strategies and shape global dialogue ahead of the 2025 United Nations high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases and promotion of mental health and well-being, taking place in New York on September 25.
If you are in distress, please reach out to MANAS at 14416 or 18008914416 and Sanjivini Society for Mental Health at 011-40769002
Published – September 14, 2025 03:49 am IST
