Mental disorders on the rise in Southeast Asia: youth and women among the most affected

Mizzima

A groundbreaking new study published in The Lancet Public Health reveals a sharp rise in mental disorders across Southeast Asia, with over 80 million people in the ASEAN region affected in 2021, a 70% increase since 1990. The surge poses a major public health challenge, particularly for young people, the elderly, and women.

The study, part of the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 research initiative, offers the most comprehensive regional analysis of mental health trends to date. Conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), the research examined the prevalence and impact of 10 mental disorders across ASEAN countries over three decades.