The World Health Organisation has published two major reports – the Mental Health Atlas 2024 and the World Mental Health Today – with updated suicide estimates. 

According to the World Mental Health Today report, over one billion people globally live with a mental health condition, yet most do not receive sufficient care. Suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death among those aged 15–29. It is the second for young women and the third for young men. More than half of these deaths occur before the age of 50, with 73% happening in low- and middle-income countries. These statistics underline the urgent need for more effective prevention strategies.

The Mental Health Atlas 2024 is the seventh edition in a series that began in 2001. It draws on data from 144 countries to evaluate mental health policies, laws, information systems, financing, workforce, and services. It shows little change in investment, as mental health accounts for only 2% of health budgets – a figure that has remained unchanged since 2017. Spending disparities are substantial, ranging from USD 65 per person in high-income countries to USD 0.04 in low-income countries. Workforce shortages remain critical, with a global median of just 13 workers per 100,000 people, and extreme shortages in low- and middle-income countries. Reforms and developments in mental health services are also progressing slowly. Fewer than 10% of countries have fully transitioned to community-based care models, with most still in the early stages of implementation. Furthermore, inpatient care continues to rely heavily on psychiatric hospitals, with nearly half of admissions occurring involuntarily and over 20% lasting longer than a year.

In the World Mental Health Today report, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, stated that the report provides a comprehensive foundation for discussions on actions to enhance mental health globally. He added that it should “remind us that mental health is not a peripheral concern but central to improving health and well-being worldwide and to achieving universal health coverage and other Sustainable Development Goals.”

The two reports provide the most comprehensive evidence yet on the urgent need to enhance mental health services and prevention efforts worldwide. The findings highlight progress, persistent gaps, and the scale of the challenge ahead. They provide governments and partners with essential evidence to inform policy dialogue – including at the upcoming 2025 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health in New York. The reports also point to where investment and action are most clearly needed to achieve the goals and targets of WHO’s comprehensive mental health action plan.

(Source: WHO)