How Common Is Mental Illness?

Poor mental health is really common – perhaps more so than many of us expect. Here are some key mental health statistics from across the world that show just how many of us are affected:

• 21% of US adults – or 52.9 million people – experienced mental illness in 2020 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021)
  • 5.6% – or 14.2 million – had serious mental illness
  • 6.7% experienced substance abuse alongside mental illness
• 17.3% of EU citizens – or 84 million people – had a mental health problem in 2016 (OECD/EU, 2018)
• 25% of the general population will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England, according to one study (NHS, 2007)
• 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England (NHS, 2014)
• 1 in 6 children between 6 and 17 in the US experience a mental health disorder each year, according to a study on the mental health of children (JAMA Pediatrics, 2019)

What Mental Health Illnesses are Most Prevalent?

Not all mental health problems are the same. While they are all serious, some are more common than others:

• 19.1% (48 million) of US adults have anxiety disorders (National Institute of Mental Health)
  • 8.4% (21 million) have a major depressive episode each year
  • 3.6% (9 million) have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • 2.8% (7 million) have bipolar disorder
  • 1.4% (3.5 million) have borderline personality disorder
  • 1.2% (3 million) have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Less than 1% (1.5 million) have schizophrenia
• In any given week in England, 8% of people have anxiety and depression (NHS, 2014)
  • 6% have generalised anxiety disorder
  • 4% have PTSD
  • 3% have depression
  • 1% has OCD

Who is Most at Risk of Mental Health Problems?

Social differences, gender, and age are all factors that affect your chance of mental health problems. Here are some of the numbers you should know:

• LGBTQ+ are between 2 and 3 times more likely to have a mental health condition than a heterosexual person (Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2015)
• 23% of Black or Black British people will experience a common mental health problem in any given week, compared to 17% of White British people (NHS, 2014)
• 21.6% of white British people have had suicidal thoughts, the highest rate of any ethnic group in the UK (Race Equality Foundation, 2020)
• Young women aged 17 to 19 are twice as likely as young men to have a mental health problem, with 23.9% reporting a disorder (NHS, 2017)
• Children and adults in the poorest 20% of households in the UK are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop mental health problems than those in the highest (Institute of Health Equity, 2010)

Mental Health and the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020 has significantly impacted our mental health. Here are the key figures:

• 1 in 6 adults in the UK experienced some sort of depression in the summer of 2021, compared to 1 in 10 before the pandemic (Office for National Statistics, 2022)
• In the first week of lockdown in April 2020, 24% of UK adults felt lonely (Mental Health Foundation, 2020)
  • This was highest among 18-24-year-olds. 44% of young adults reported feelings of loneliness, compared to 16% before lockdown
• Before Christmas 2020, 54% of UK adults reported feeling anxious or worried (Mental Health Foundation, 2020)
  • Women (63%), full-time students (66%), unemployed people (60%), and those who have a pre-existing mental health condition (69%) felt more anxious or worried, too
  • Loneliness levels were also higher in unemployed people (35%), full-time students (39%), single parents (30%), and people with a pre-existing mental health condition (36%)
• In September 2021, 60% said they were coping with the stress of the pandemic, down from 73% in April 2020 (Mental Health Foundation, 2021)
• 67% of young people – including adolescents and those up to 25 – believe that the pandemic will have a long-term impact on their mental health (Young Minds, 2021)

What are the Impacts of Mental Health Issues?

Mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It can have a severe impact on both our physical health and our world at large:

• 3.7% of all deaths in the EU in 2016 resulted from mental health disorders (Eurostat, 2020)
  • Approximately 13.5 % of all hospital beds in the EU were psychiatric care beds in 2016
• Up to 50% of chronic sick leaves are due to depression/anxiety (WHO, 2012)
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 34 (NIH)
• The effect of poor mental health on physical health is estimated to cost the NHS at least £8 billion a year (The King’s Fund and Centre for Mental Health, 2012)

Mental Health Treatment: The Stats

While people are seeking treatment for their mental health, many still are not:

• Only 1 in 8 adults with mental health problems are currently getting treatment (Mind, 2020)
• About 50% of major depressions are untreated (WHO, 2012)
• In the US, among adults who received mental health support, 17.7 million experienced delays or cancellations of health care appointments (NAMI, 2020)
• 7.3 million people in the UK were prescribed antidepressants between 2017 and 2018. That’s 17% of the adult population (Public Health England, 2020)
• Exercise helps reduce the number of days people suffer stress, depression, or anxiety by 40%, according to a study of different health surveys (The Lancet, 2018)
• The number of psychologists is expected to grow by 19% between 2014 and 2024, suggesting increased demand for therapy (American Psychological Association, 2017)

Key Takeaways

These mental health stats show just how serious a concern poor mental health is in the UK and worldwide. If you’re experiencing the symptoms of poor mental health, talk to someone. It could be a doctor, a friend, or a family member. You are not alone.

FAQs

What Percentage of the UK Suffers from Mental Illness?

Studies suggest that 25% of the UK population will suffer from a mental health problem in any given year. However, this number may have gone up during the pandemic.

What is the Most Common Mental Illness?

8% of adults have combined anxiety and depression in the UK, making it the most commonly diagnosed mental illness. However, we all go through periods of poor mental health – but it may not be diagnosed.

While we've ensured that everything you read on the Health Centre is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.