Age of onset and cumulative risk of mental disorders: a cross-national analysis of population surveys from 29 countries
Summary & key facts
Researchers analyzed interviews from 156,331 adults across 29 countries to find how often and when common mental disorders first appear. They found that about 29 to 30 out of every 100 people had experienced at least one of the 13 disorders at some point in life. By age 75, roughly half the people could expect to have had one or more of these disorders. Most first episodes happened in childhood, the teen years, or young adulthood, with the chance of a first episode peaking around age 15 and the middle age of first onset being about 19 for men and 20 for women. The most common problems were alcohol-related disorder and major depression in men, and major depression and specific phobia in women
- The researchers used coordinated face-to-face surveys collected between 2001 and 2022 that included 156,331 adults from 29 countries.
- About 29 out of every 100 men and about 30 out of every 100 women reported having at least one of the 13 mental disorders at some point in their lives.
- When the researchers estimated the chance of ever having one of these disorders by age 75, the risk was higher: about 46 out of every 100 men and about 53 out of every 100 women. This means roughly half the population could expect to develo
- The highest chance of a first episode happened around age 15. The middle age when people first developed a disorder was about 19 for men and about 20 for women, so many problems start in childhood, the teen years, or young adulthood.
- For men the two most common disorders were alcohol-related problems and major depression. For women the two most common were major depression and specific phobia.
- The study measured 13 disorders using a standard structured interview carried out by trained lay interviewers. It did not assess ethnicity.
- A key limitation is that people were asked to recall when their problems started, so ages of first onset could be remembered inaccurately. The results apply to the 13 disorders studied and to the countries and years covered by these surveys
- Because many disorders begin early in life, the authors say that health services need the ability to find and treat common mental disorders promptly during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, although the study does not test which
Abstract
None.
Topics
Cardiac Health and Mental Health Health disparities and outcomes Mental Health Treatment and AccessCategories
Psychology Social Psychology Social SciencesTags
Demography Environmental health Law Medicine MEDLINE Political science Population Psychiatry Psychology SociologyConditions & symptoms
Addiction Anxiety Depression Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Panic disorder and phobias PTSD Substance abuse disorder Anxiety or worry Panic Sadness or low moodReferencing articles
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