The State of the World

Mental Disorders Leading Cause of Nonfatal Illness Worldwide

Mental and substance use disorders are the leading cause of nonfatal illness worldwide, with a global disease burden that trumps that of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes, or transport injuries, new research shows.
A team of investigators from the United States and Australia led by Professor Harvey Whiteford found that in 2010, mental and substance use disorders were the fifth leading contributor to death and disease worldwide and that at 40%, depressive disorders account for the largest proportion of this burden.