The number of people living with mental disorders in the world outpaced the increase in the global population between 2011 and 2021, a recent World Health Organization report, World Mental Health Today, has revealed. The WHO also gleaned data from the Mental Health Atlas 2024 to sound another alarm: the world is significantly off track when it comes to mitigating the burgeoning mental health crisis. More than a billion people across the world are living with mental health conditions at present, costing the world economy an estimated $1 trillion each year in terms of lost productivity. The Covid-19 pandemic, which caused economic disruptions, job losses and social isolation, exacerbated the risk factors. While anxiety and depression are the most common afflictions, suicide claimed an estimated 7,27,000 lives in 2021. The situation in middle and low-income countries is expected to be worse. The aggravating crisis has been met by a perpetual cycle of underfunding and poor institutional response. As per WHO, median government spending on mental health has remained unchanged since 2017, accounting for just 2% of health budgets. If the current trends continue, experts warn that the world will only achieve a mere 12% reduction in suicide rates, thereby falling far short of the United Nations target to reduce suicide deaths by a third by 2030.

There have been marginal improvements in some areas: over 80% of countries included mental health and psychosocial support in their emergency response frameworks in 2025, up from less than 40% in 2020. But the magnitude of the crisis demands more. There are just 13 mental health workers for every 100,000 people worldwide; the corresponding number for India is 0.7 per 1 lakh population. Further, community-based care is deemed crucial as it provides accessible and inclusive support. But fewer than one in 10 countries have instituted such a framework. The reliance on psychiatric hospitals is still widespread; almost half of inpatient admissions are involuntary, highlighting the gaps in resources, services, and research. Social stigma still acts as a significant barrier to accessing mental healthcare; India is an example. There is also the need to clear ambiguities when it comes to defining mental conditions. For instance, the WHO data suggest that women are disproportionately affected by mental health conditions. But is each condition or even trigger mapped as an ailment? How is the mental health crisis unfolding among socially disadvantaged groups or in conflict zones? These answers must be found too.