Global insights into youth mental health prevalence: Challenges and future directions

Globally, mental health disorders and drug use disorders (SUDs) have made a significant contribution to the overall burden of the disease, Many of these conditions occur during puberty. These conditions once regarded as merely “the pain of growth” will significantly affect the quality of life and social functioning. Previously it was estimated that about 25% of adolescents suffer from mental health disorders each year, increasing to 33% in their lifetime (Kessler et al., 2007).

As Beth Cumber highlighted in his recent Psychic Elf blog, early intervention is necessary to improve mental health outcomes in this population. Similarly, in his 2022 blog, Alejandro Arguelles Bullon highlights the importance of age separation analysis understanding risk patterns in adolescence, as it enables researchers to identify specific vulnerabilities and potential intervention points.

In this context, Killing et al. (2024) uses the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data for 2019 to analyze the global epidemic and health burden of mental health disorders and drug use disorders (SUDs) across children and adolescence. Their findings reveal key characteristics of mental health disorders during adolescence and provide clear directions for early intervention, providing important evidence for policy makers and health care workers.

The importance of early intervention and prevention for mental health in children and adolescents has been increasingly recognized, and age-strengthened analyses have been conducted to enable researchers to identify trends and intervention points.

method

The burden of the Global Disease, Injury and Risk Factors Study (GBD) is a huge population study that began in the early 1990s to quantify the levels and trends of global health.

Current study by Kieling et al. (2024) Analysed the global prevalence and health burden of mental disorders and SUD between the ages of 5 and 24 years using data from the 2019 GBD study. Data sources include national health surveys, hospital records and international reports. Data were stratified by different age groups (5-9, 10-14, 15-19, and 20-24 years old) and gender. The survey results were cross-validated with independent data sets to ensure reliability. Death set model (CODEM) was performed to adjust for comorbidities. Use Healthy burden Life with Disabilities (YLDS).

result

In 2019, 11.63% of people aged 5-24 (about 293 million) have at least one mental health disorder, while 1.22% (about 31 million) have SUD (See Table 1 below). Anxiety is the most common (3.35%; 84 million), schizophrenia is the least common (0.08%; 2 million). Boys show Higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders For example, autism and attention deficit ADHD, Girls have higher prevalence of anxiety, mood and eating disorders.

Regarding the burden of health, Among children and adolescents aged 5-24, mental health disorders account for 20.27% of YLD (153.9 million) of YLDs account for 20.27% of YLDsthe highest of all health conditions. SUD contributed 4.3 million YLD. As you age, YLD increases dramatically, almost Compared with 5-9 years old, the number of YLDs increased by 5 times. The worst growth was depression, with the number of YLDs increasing from 5-9 years to 35 times to 20-24 years.

From a broader life lesson perspective for all ages, 24.85% (125.29 million) of YLDs associated with psychological disorders occur between the ages of 5 and 24 years, which is a significant burden compared to cardiovascular disease (5.30%) and diabetes (3.15%) (3.15%) (3.15%).

Table 1. Prevalence of at least one mental health disorder in the age group

In 2019, approximately 293 million children and adolescents aged 5-24 had at least one mental health disorder, with anxiety disorders being the most common.

in conclusion

This study by Killing and colleagues (2024) highlights the global prevalence of mental health disorders in children and adolescents aged 5-24, with anxiety disorders and mood disorders as major contributors. Mental health disorders account for 20.27% of the non-fatal health burden of all GBD diseases in patients aged 5-24 years. Furthermore, in the life course, 24.85% of all health burdens attributed to mental health disorders were found among people aged 5-24 years old, reversing the typical patterns observed in other health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

These mental health conditions have profound implications for education, social participation and economic opportunities, with the burden on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, this study highlights the urgent need for early screening and intervention efforts, age-specific resource allocation, and prioritizing adolescent mental health as a global health concern. Policymakers are urged to address these challenges through evidence-based interventions and sustainable mental health policies.

The prevalence of at least one mental health disorder doubles between the ages of 5-9 and 20-24, underscoring the importance of early intervention and prevention efforts during this developmental period.

Advantages and limitations

Advantages

• The study adopted Age stratification analysisproviding detailed insights into the prevalence and health burden of mental health disorders across different age groups throughout childhood and adolescence. It also provides Evidence-based adviceemphasizing the importance of age-specific data for resource allocation and targeted interventions.
• The study used data from GBD, which was collected from 204 countries and regions, including a wide range of data sources such as systematic reviews, government reports and international databases. This global coverage allows Cross-region comparisonsupport more inclusive and culturally sensitive health policies.
• The study adopted Complication adjustment mechanism In order to solve the overlap of multiple diseases within an individual, Reduce bias and ensure independent, accurate estimates The burden of each disease is across age, gender and region.

limit

• The data quality of LMIC is limited, with more than 170 million children and adolescents living in data screening areas. In addition, high-risk groups such as LGBTQIA+ youth and indigenous adolescents are underrepresented. Regional differences collected and reported in such areas further Impact cross-regional comparability.
• Data sources vary by age groupthere are reports from parents, used for self-reports of young children and adolescents, resulting in Inconsistent data interpretation. Exclude subclinical presentations It may also underestimate the real burden of mental health problems.
• Research Relying on 2019 cross-sectional data to limit insights to vertical impact These mental health conditions. Furthermore, it does not explain the impact of the 199-19 pandemic, which has had a wide range of negative impacts on the mental health of children and adolescents.
• Changes in diagnostic criteria, cultural concepts and reporting habits may introduce observer biasaffects the accuracy and comparability of prevalence estimates. Although the data were adjusted to illustrate known biases, there was still some uncertainty about its accuracy.

Although the use of global datasets allows for cross-regional comparisons, data for low-income and middle-income countries in low-risk groups are limited.

Impact on practice

This study highlights Early intervention and age-specific mental health strategies are urgently needed worldwide. Policies must prioritize adequate funding to reduce stigma and access to health care for children and adolescents, especially LMIC.

During my internship at a psychiatric hospital in China, I observed that parents often seek professional help only after their children’s academic performance declines and major events such as self-harm or suicide. Early signs of mental distress were ignored or unrecognized. Lack of awareness can lead to delays put one’s oar inThis may further affect academic performance, emotional stability, relationships and personal development, and I have witnessed all of this during the intervention.

also, Mental health stigma remains a major obstacle to timely access to professional help (Golberstein et al., 2008). Addressing mental health in childhood and adolescence requires not only clinical intervention, but also cultural changes, including awareness, acceptance and active support systems throughout society. This is necessary Increase communication between different systemssuch as schools and medical services.

During my internship, I noticed that schools often lack the diagnostic tools and training necessary to identify and address mental health issues at an early stage, and that the health care system often takes place in isolation with limited communication and collaboration with schools and families. This creates many opportunities for early intervention.

To increase timely access to mental health support, we need to raise awareness of early signs of psychological distress in children and adolescents.

Statement of interests

Nothing.

Link

Main paper

Killing (C. Global prevalence and disability across childhood and adolescence mental disorders: Evidence of global burden of disease. Jama Psychiatry,,,,, 81(4), 347-356.

Other references

Bullon, AA (2022). The global burden of disease from mental disorders remains high. Spiritual Elf.

Cumber, B. (2024). Prevention is the mental health of children and young people. Spiritual Elf.

Golberstein, E., Eisenberg, D. , & Gollust, SE (2008). Perceived stigma and mental health care seeking. Psychiatric Services,,,,, 59(4), 392-399.

Kessler, RC, Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, KR, & Walters, EE (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age distribution of DSM-IV disease in replication in the national comorbidity survey. General Psychiatry Archives,,,,, 62(6), 593-602.

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