At least half of all people likely to develop mental health disorders before 75: study

A recent study in The Lancet found that by the age of 75 about half of all people will develop a mental disorder. 

“These disorders typically first emerge in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood,” reads the study, co-led by researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of Queensland. “Services should have the capacity to detect and treat common mental disorders promptly and to optimize care that suits people at these crucial parts of the life course.”

The study included over 150,000 respondents aged 18 and older from 29 countries between 2001 and 2022. The study also noted a finding of different disorders more commonly affecting different genders than others. 

“The two most prevalent disorders were alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder for male respondents and major depressive disorder and specific phobia for female respondents,” the study said. 

The study noted the importance of studying the frequency and timing of mental disorder development, calling it “fundamental importance for public health planning.”