Brazil's Adolescents Now Bear the Greatest Global Burden of Mental Illness

A Lancet‑based Global Burden of Disease study estimates that one billion people worldwide suffer from a mental disorder, a prevalence twice that of the 1990s. The same research shows mental illness has become the leading cause of disability globally.

In Brazil, a recent survey of 15‑ to 19‑year‑olds found that one in three youths experience a mental health condition, with girls and women disproportionately affected. Psychiatrist Camila Magalhães Silveira of Hospital Sírio‑Libanês highlighted that, for the first time, the highest rates are seen among teenagers rather than middle‑aged adults.

She attributed the surge to multiple, inter‑linked factors including climate and food insecurity, social inequality, labour‑market changes and the hyper‑connectivity driven by social media. She urged a shift from merely expanding services to addressing these broader societal drivers.