🌍 Mental Health: India & Global Statistics

📌 Summary

• Scale: Mental disorders affect 1 in 8 people globally, and over 50% of individuals will experience one in their lifetime.Sources:WHO,Wikipedia,Harvard Medical School
• India Specifics: Around 10.6% of adults currently live with a mental illness. Psychiatrist availability is 0.3 per 100,000—far below WHO’s recommendation of 3 per 100,000. Treatment gaps are severe, especially for youth, with 70–92% of cases going untreated.Sources:MoHFW India,Wikipedia
• Social & Economic Impact: Depression and anxiety cost the global economy over USD $1 trillion every year due to lost productivity and untreated mental health conditions.Source:WHO
• Growing Awareness: Mental health helpline usage in India increased dramatically. For example, calls from urban men rose 126% from 2020–2024. Yet, awareness outpaces infrastructure.Source:Times of India

🧠 Types of Mental Disorders & Estimated Cases

Here’s a breakdown of the most common mental health disorders, what they mean, and how widespread they are—globally and in India.

• Depression: Persistent sadness, lack of interest, fatigue.
  🌐 ~280 million globally | 🇮🇳 ~45 million (3.3%)
• Anxiety Disorders: Chronic fear, panic attacks, social anxiety, phobias.
  🌐 ~301 million globally | 🇮🇳 ~44 million (3.2%)
• Bipolar Disorder: Mood swings between mania and depression.
  🌐 ~40 million globally | 🇮🇳 ~6.9 million (0.5%)
• Schizophrenia: Distorted thinking, hallucinations, delusions.
  🌐 ~24 million globally | 🇮🇳 ~3.5 million (0.3%)
• OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder): Intrusive thoughts & repetitive behaviors.
  🌐 ~50 million globally | 🇮🇳 ~5 million estimated
• PTSD: Post-traumatic stress from violence, disaster, or loss.
  🌐 ~120 million globally | 🇮🇳 underreported but significant
• Substance Use Disorders: Drug or alcohol dependence impairing life.
  🌐 ~100 million globally | 🇮🇳 ~160 million (legal + illicit)
• Eating Disorders: Anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating tied to body image.
  🌐 ~30 million globally | 🇮🇳 urban rise in youth, especially females

Sources: WHO, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, NIMHANS NMHS Survey, The Lancet, Global Burden of Disease Study.