Mental Health Statistics 2026
By Axis Intelligence Research
Co-author: Jennifer Miller | Last updated: July 23, 2026 | License: CC BY 4.0
More than 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental health disorder — yet fewer than half of those who need treatment receive it, depression and anxiety drain $1 trillion from the global economy every year in lost productivity alone, and the United States faces a structural shortfall of over 137 million people living in designated mental health professional shortage areas. The digital therapeutics market has responded with $8.4–$9.6 billion in mental health app revenue in 2025, AI-powered tools entering clinical territory, and a new category of LLM-based emotional support that reached 48.7% adoption among adults with mental health challenges in 2025.
Quick Answer
An estimated 1 billion people globally live with a mental health disorder, per the World Health Organization’s September 2025 reports. In the United States, 61.5 million adults (23.4% of the adult population) experienced any mental illness in 2024, per SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health — yet 48% received no treatment. Depression and anxiety cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion annually in lost productivity via 12 billion lost working days per year, per WHO. The global mental health apps market was valued at $8.4–$9.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to exceed $9.4 billion in 2026. According to Axis Intelligence Research’s Mental Health Digital Access Index (MHDAI™), the U.S. scores 38.4 out of 100 on composite access, reflecting a system structurally unable to meet its documented burden.
Key Findings
- According to Axis Intelligence Research, combining WHO’s September 2025 global prevalence figure of more than 1 billion people with mental health disorders and SAMHSA’s 2024 NSDUH finding that 61.5 million U.S. adults experienced any mental illness, the United States accounts for approximately 6% of the world’s diagnosable mental health burden while holding 4.2% of global population — a burden ratio of 1.4× the global average.
- According to the WHO World Mental Health Today report (September 2, 2025), depression and anxiety disorders collectively account for more than two-thirds of all mental health cases globally, and these two conditions alone cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion per year in lost productivity — equivalent to approximately 12 billion working days erased annually.
- According to SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 48% of U.S. adults with any mental illness received no treatment — and the provider infrastructure to close this gap does not exist: 137 million Americans live in federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas as of December 2025, per HRSA’s State of the Behavioral Health Workforce 2025 report.
- According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, citing CDC WISQARS data (April 2026), 48,824 people died by suicide in the United States in 2024, a 1% decrease from 2023 (49,316), while suicide attempts rose to 2.2 million — a 1.5× increase from 1.5 million in 2023, and the suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 remains 32% above its 2000 baseline of 10.4.
- According to Axis Intelligence Research, the global mental health apps market reached $8.4–$9.6 billion in 2025 across multiple firm estimates (Mordor Intelligence, SNS Insider, Fortune Business Insights), with AI-powered mental health solutions specifically projected to grow from $1.82 billion in 2025 to $2.42 billion in 2026 at a 32.74% CAGR, representing the fastest-expanding technology segment in digital health.
How Many People Have a Mental Health Disorder?
Global Prevalence
The headline figure from the World Health Organization’s September 2, 2025 dual-report release — World Mental Health Today and Mental Health Atlas 2024 — is unambiguous: more than 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental health disorder. That is roughly 1 in 7 of the global population of approximately 8.2 billion. WHO’s Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus framed this directly on release: “Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges. Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies — an investment no country can afford to neglect.”
Anxiety and depressive disorders account for more than two-thirds of all cases. Schizophrenia affects approximately 24 million people worldwide, or about 1 in 300 of the global population. Bipolar disorder affects roughly 40 million people. Per the WHO Atlas 2024, nearly half of all mental disorders begin before the age of 18, and young adults aged 20–29 show the largest increases in prevalence over the past decade.
The Global Burden of Disease 2021 analysis, published in the European Psychiatry journal in August 2025, documented that mental disorders’ burden — measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) — remained relatively stable from 2001 to 2019, then sharply increased in 2020–2021 globally, with the COVID-19 pandemic identified as a significant trigger for that acceleration. Mental disorders account for 1 in every 20 DALYs and 1 in every 6 years lived with disability.
Jennifer Miller, Digital Health: “The 1 billion figure from WHO is the right anchor, but it requires two clarifications to read correctly. First, it reflects identified and counted cases only — in low- and middle-income countries where population-level mental health screening is rare, the true burden is structurally undercounted. Second, the prevalence figures are point-in-time snapshots; longitudinal exposure is higher because episodes remit and recur. The figure that matters more for policy is the treatment gap — which WHO’s own Atlas 2024 puts at over 50% globally — because it tells you what the system actually addresses versus what it leaves unresolved.”
United States Prevalence
SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), published in August 2025 and covering calendar year 2024, provides the most current U.S.-specific primary data. The survey estimates 61.5 million U.S. adults (23.4% of the adult population) experienced any mental illness (AMI) in 2024. Serious mental illness (SMI) — defined as conditions resulting in serious functional impairment — affected a subset of approximately 15.4 million adults (6.0% of the adult population), per the most recent available NIMH data from the 2022 NSDUH cycle published September 2024.
The NIMH’s primary statistics page, updated September 2024, provides detailed demographic breakdowns from the 2022 NSDUH:
| Demographic | AMI Prevalence | SMI Prevalence |
|---|---|---|
| Overall U.S. adults | 23.1% | 6.0% |
| Female | 26.4% | 7.1% |
| Male | 19.7% | 4.8% |
| Age 18–25 | 36.2% | 11.6% |
| Age 26–49 | 29.4% | 7.6% |
| Age 50+ | 13.9% | 3.0% |
| Two or more races | 35.2% | 11.8% |
| White | 24.6% | 6.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 21.4% | 5.1% |
| Black/African American | 19.7% | 4.3% |
| Asian | 16.8% | 2.8% |
Source: NIMH, Any Mental Illness Among U.S. Adults (2022 NSDUH), updated September 2024 (nimh.nih.gov)
Young adults aged 18–25 carry the highest burden of any adult age group — 36.2% AMI prevalence, nearly triple the 13.9% rate seen among adults 50 and older. Among adolescents, the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement documents a lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder of 49.5% — meaning roughly half of U.S. adolescents will meet criteria for a mental disorder at some point before adulthood.
According to Axis Intelligence Research’s calculation, combining the WHO’s 1 billion global figure with SAMHSA’s 2024 U.S. figure of 61.5 million: U.S. adults account for approximately 6.1% of the world’s documented mental health burden while holding 4.2% of global population (based on a 2024 U.S. adult population of approximately 263 million and a global population of approximately 8.2 billion). The U.S. burden ratio — mental health prevalence share ÷ population share — is approximately 1.4× the global average, reflecting both higher documented prevalence and a healthcare system with substantially more diagnostic infrastructure than most of the world.
What Is the Economic Cost of Mental Health Disorders?
Global Economic Burden
The WHO’s World Mental Health Today report (September 2025) confirmed that depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion annually in lost productivity — equivalent to approximately 12 billion lost working days per year from these two conditions alone. The figure does not include costs from PTSD, substance use disorders, schizophrenia, burnout, or other mental health conditions, meaning the full economic burden is substantially higher.
The Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health estimated the cumulative global economic cost of mental disorders between 2011 and 2030 at approximately $16 trillion. Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace Report found that only 20% of employees globally were engaged at work in 2025, while 40% experienced significant daily stress — with low engagement estimated to cost the world economy approximately $10 trillion in lost productivity in 2025.
United States Economic Burden
According to the American Psychiatric Association, employees with unresolved depression experience an average 35% productivity drop, costing U.S. organizations approximately $210.5 billion annually in absenteeism, reduced productivity, and medical expenses. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports depression alone costs American employers approximately $44 billion annually in lost productivity.
Presenteeism — employees showing up but not functioning effectively due to mental health challenges — costs U.S. employers approximately $150 billion annually in reduced productivity and lost efficiency, per research cited by Gallup and the APA. The NAMI and Ipsos 2026 workplace poll found 75% of employees say discussing mental health at work is appropriate, but only 57% feel comfortable doing so — and 34% of employees said their productivity suffered in 2024 because of their mental health.
A Gallup study estimates employee burnout costs global healthcare systems $322 billion annually. According to Moodle’s 2025 workplace research, 66% of U.S. employees report feeling burned out in some form, with 13% attributing their burnout specifically to concern about how AI will impact their role.
Jennifer Miller: “The $210.5 billion productivity figure from APA and the $150 billion presenteeism estimate from Gallup describe symptoms of the same structural failure: a treatment gap so wide that untreated conditions pile up in the workforce and express themselves as lost output. The ROI on mental health investment is not soft — Gallup found workplaces that prioritize mental health see 13% higher productivity, 2.3× lower stress rates, and 2.6× higher likelihood of reduced absenteeism. The barrier is not evidence. It is the 48-day average wait time for behavioral health services and the 40% of the country that lives in a shortage area.”
What Is the Mental Health Treatment Gap?
Who Goes Untreated
The treatment gap is the defining structural crisis in mental health. SAMHSA’s 2024 NSDUH data shows that of 61.5 million U.S. adults with any mental illness, 48% — approximately 29.5 million people — received no mental health treatment in the past year. For serious mental illness, the gap is smaller but still critical: of adults with SMI, 33.6% received no treatment, per NIMH data from the 2022 cycle.
The treatment gap is widest among the youngest adults. Young adults aged 18–25 with AMI received mental health treatment at a rate of 49.1% — lower than both the 26–49 cohort (50.0%) and the 50+ cohort (52.7%). The racial disparity is equally pronounced: White adults with AMI received treatment at a 56.1% rate versus 37.9% for Black or African American adults and 39.6% for Hispanic or Latino adults, per NIMH’s 2022 NSDUH breakdown.
The reasons are documented. The top barriers to care are cost, provider unavailability, and insurance gaps. An American Psychological Association survey found that 46% of psychologists have no openings for new patients, and only 20% accept Medicaid. The average out-of-pocket therapy session cost in 2025 ran $143–$174, per the Rula State of Mental Health Report 2026.
Provider Shortage
As of December 2025, 137 million Americans — 40% of the U.S. population — live in federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), per HRSA’s State of the Behavioral Health Workforce 2025. The number of shortage areas increased by 389 in a single year between December 2024 and December 2025, adding approximately 15 million more Americans to the shortage population. Only 26.4% of mental health workforce need is being met in those designated shortage areas as of April 1, 2026, per HRSA’s Quarterly HPSA Report.
HRSA projects a national shortage of 43,660 adult psychiatrists by 2038, alongside shortfalls of approximately 99,840 psychologists, 99,780 mental health counselors, 77,050 addiction counselors, and 19,770 child and adolescent psychiatrists. The current national psychiatrist-to-population ratio sits at approximately 1 provider per 5,058 residents — well below the threshold for adequate coverage.
| Provider Type | Projected 2038 Shortfall | Current Adequacy |
|---|---|---|
| Adult psychiatrists | 43,660 | ~1 per 5,058 residents |
| Psychologists | ~99,840 | 46% have no new openings |
| Mental health counselors | ~99,780 | N/A |
| Child/adolescent psychiatrists | 19,770 | 36% of need met |
| Marriage/family therapists | 63,540 | 45% of need met |
Source: HRSA State of the Behavioral Health Workforce 2025; HRSA Designated HPSA Quarterly Report, April 1, 2026; American Psychological Association, 2022
The 48-day average wait time for behavioral health services — documented by multiple state-level health systems analyses — represents a critical failure point for acute mental health episodes, which require timely intervention to prevent deterioration.
Suicide Statistics 2024
Suicide remains one of the most measurable and preventable outcomes of untreated mental illness. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, citing CDC WISQARS data retrieved April 7, 2026, provides the most current U.S. picture:
In 2024, 48,824 people died by suicide in the United States — a 1% decrease from 49,316 in 2023, and a 4% decrease from the all-time high of 49,476 in 2022. The age-adjusted suicide rate was 13.7 per 100,000 people in 2024, down 2% from 14.1 in 2023. However, this rate remains 32% above the 2000 baseline of 10.4 per 100,000.
According to the CDC’s suicide data page, updated May 2026: in 2024, an estimated 14.3 million U.S. adults had serious thoughts of suicide, 4.6 million planned a suicide attempt, and 2.2 million attempted suicide — the latter representing a 1.5× increase from the 1.5 million attempts estimated in 2023.
Key 2024 suicide statistics from CDC and AFSP:
| Metric | 2024 Value | Change vs. 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Total U.S. suicide deaths | 48,824 | −1% |
| Age-adjusted rate (per 100,000) | 13.7 | −2% |
| Male rate vs. female rate | Males ~4× higher (38,977 vs. 9,847) | — |
| Firearm suicide rate | 7.8 per 100,000 | All-time high (+13% from 2020) |
| Firearms as % of all suicides | 57% | Up from 50% in 2014 |
| Suicide attempts | 2.2 million | +47% from 2023 |
| Adults with serious suicidal ideation | 14.3 million | 5.5% of adults 18+ |
| Youth aged 15–34 suicide rate | 15.2 per 100,000 | −4% from 2023 |
Source: AFSP citing CDC WISQARS Fatal Injury Reports, retrieved April 7, 2026 (afsp.org); CDC Suicide Data and Statistics (cdc.gov), updated May 2026; NIMH Suicide Statistics page (nimh.nih.gov)
Per NIMH’s suicide statistics page, in 2023 suicide was the 11th leading cause of death overall in the United States, the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals aged 10–34, and the 4th leading cause among those aged 35–44. There were more than twice as many suicides (49,316) as homicides (22,830) in 2023.
Jennifer Miller: “The 2024 data shows a modest decrease in deaths and a meaningful decrease in youth rates — but the 47% increase in attempts compared to 2023 requires careful interpretation. The CDC’s methodology changed between years for attempt data, so direct comparison has caveats. What is clear and concerning is the firearm suicide rate reaching an all-time high of 7.8 per 100,000, accounting for 57% of all suicide deaths. Means restriction — reducing access to lethal methods — is among the most evidence-supported suicide prevention strategies, and that metric moving in the wrong direction while death rates slightly improve suggests the prevention infrastructure is working selectively.”
Crisis resources: If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 (available 24/7 in the United States).
Mental Health Statistics by Condition
Depression
Depression is one of the two most prevalent mental health conditions globally. The WHO estimates 280 million people worldwide live with depression. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common specific diagnosis, with 12-month prevalence in the U.S. estimated at approximately 8.3% of adults, per NIMH.
Among adolescents, the picture is more encouraging than in prior years: adolescent major depressive episodes declined from 20.8% in 2021 to 15.4% in 2024, per trend data cited across NIMH and SAMHSA sources. Depression is 3× more prevalent among the lowest-income Americans compared to the highest, per data cited in the 2026 workplace mental health literature.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders affect approximately 301 million people worldwide, per WHO. They are the most common mental health conditions in the United States. Approximately 37% of young adults aged 18–25 report significant anxiety symptoms — the highest rate of any adult age group, per CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data. Social anxiety disorder affects an estimated 12.1% of U.S. adults, per NIMH, with onset typically in adolescence. Only 36.9% of adults with anxiety disorders receive any form of treatment, per the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
PTSD
Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD: lifetime prevalence is 10.4% for women versus 5.0% for men, per NIMH. Nearly 30% of young adults with PTSD do not receive treatment.
Eating Disorders
Per National Alliance for Eating Disorders data, eating disorders carry among the highest mortality rates of any mental health condition and affect an estimated 9% of the U.S. population at some point in their lifetime.
Mental Health Apps and Digital Therapeutics Market
Market Size
The global mental health apps market has reached significant commercial scale. Across the major research firms tracking the segment:
| Firm | 2025 Market Size | 2026 Projection | 2031–2035 Projection | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mordor Intelligence | $8.40B | $9.45B | $18.81B (2031) | 14.76% |
| SNS Insider | $9.61B | N/A | $45.12B (2035) | 16.73% |
| Fortune Business Insights | $7.48B | $8.64B | $35.29B (2034) | 19.23% |
| Global Market Insights | $8.20B | $9.60B | $40.90B (2035) | 17.4% |
| Straits Research | N/A | $9.76B (est.) | N/A | N/A |
Note: Variance across firms reflects differing scope definitions. Mordor Intelligence focuses on app-only revenue; others include adjacent digital therapeutics infrastructure. All figures are indicative; none should be cited as a single authoritative market size. Axis Intelligence Research presents the range rather than selecting one estimate.
The convergence point across estimates is approximately $8.4–$9.6 billion in 2025 market size, with growth trajectories broadly in the 14–19% CAGR range. North America consistently leads by revenue, holding 39–47% of the market depending on the firm.
Calm led with over 5% global market share in 2025. The top five players — Calm, Headspace, Talkspace, Teladoc Health, and Woebot — collectively held approximately 15% of the market in 2025, per Global Market Insights, indicating a fragmented competitive landscape with many regional and specialty players.
AI-Powered Mental Health Solutions
The AI-powered mental health solutions segment is the fastest-growing subset of digital mental health. According to Mordor Intelligence, the AI-powered mental health solutions market grew from approximately $1.71–$1.82 billion in 2025 to a projected $2.42 billion in 2026, at a 32.74% CAGR through 2031 (projected to reach $9.96 billion). Grand View Research puts the AI in mental health market at $1.71 billion in 2025, projected to reach $9.12 billion by 2033 at a 23.29% CAGR.
More than 10,000 mental health apps now incorporate AI, up from fewer than 1,000 five years ago, per Mordor Intelligence. Natural Language Processing accounted for 44.02% of AI-powered mental health solutions market share in 2025, with machine learning advancing at a 34.36% CAGR. Software accounted for 75.78% of segment revenue in 2025.
According to Psychology.com’s AI Therapy Statistics 2026, updated July 2, 2026 and sourced from APA surveys and federal datasets: 48.7% of AI users who report mental health challenges have used a major LLM (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini) for therapeutic support, per Sentio University/Practice Innovations data from 2025. About 1 in 6 U.S. adults use AI chatbots at least monthly for health information and advice, per KFF/Harvard Medicine (2025). OpenAI reported in October 2025 that over 1 million people per week have ChatGPT conversations with explicit indicators of potential suicide planning.
Jennifer Miller: “The 48.7% LLM-for-therapy-support figure is one of the most consequential data points in digital health in 2026 — not because LLMs have been validated as therapeutic interventions (they have not), but because it reveals the scale of unmet need being channeled into whatever is accessible and free. The provider shortage created a vacuum. LLMs arrived in that vacuum. The clinical question — whether this helps, harms, or is neutral — is not yet answered at the population level. Randomized trials show tools like Therabot achieve symptom reductions comparable to human therapy in controlled settings. Real-world deployment is a different matter.”
Employer Mental Health Investment
The enterprise benefit channel is reshaping how mental health apps reach users. Mordor Intelligence documents that 71% of employees experience stress-related productivity losses, creating documented ROI on employer mental health programs. Employers report 12% productivity gains and 67% retention improvements after deploying mindfulness apps with AI-generated coping exercises. Spring Health’s 2026 Workplace Mental Health Annual Report found that 60%+ of HR leaders say mental health leaves increased in the past year, with one in six reporting increases of 25% or more.
The MHDAI™ — Mental Health Digital Access Index
Axis Intelligence Research proprietary metric, first published July 2026. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
The Mental Health Digital Access Index (MHDAI™) is an original composite metric designed to score the effective accessibility of mental health support for U.S. adults, combining structural care access with the emerging digital layer. It does not measure outcomes — only the degree to which the support infrastructure exists and is reachable.
Formula
MHDAI™ = (Treatment Access Score × 0.35) + (Provider Availability Score × 0.30) + (Digital Supplement Score × 0.20) + (Affordability Score × 0.15)
Inputs and Scoring
| Dimension | Raw Input | Scaling Rule | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment Access Score | 52% of AMI adults received treatment in 2024 (inverse of 48% gap) | Linear: 0–100% treated → 0–100 | 52.0 |
| Provider Availability Score | 40% of U.S. population in shortage areas; only 26.4% of need met in those areas | Inverse linear: 100% coverage → 100; current state scored as 26.4 × (1 − 0.40) = 15.8 | 15.8 |
| Digital Supplement Score | Mental health apps market at $8.4B–$9.6B; 10,000+ AI apps; 48.7% LLM therapeutic support adoption | Scaled 0–100 vs. estimated addressable need; conservative score given clinical validation gaps | 55.0 |
| Affordability Score | Average out-of-pocket cost $143–$174/session; 9.2% of adults with AMI uninsured | Inverse: higher cost and uninsured rate = lower score; scored against benchmark of $0 barrier | 30.0 |
MHDAI™ Score: 38.4 / 100 (2024–2025 data inputs; arithmetic verified by Axis Intelligence Research)
MHDAI™ = (52.0 × 0.35) + (15.8 × 0.30) + (55.0 × 0.20) + (30.0 × 0.15) = 18.2 + 4.74 + 11.0 + 4.5 = 38.44 → 38.4
Interpretation
A score of 38.4 out of 100 reflects a system where treatment access is constrained at the first step (just over half of those who need care receive it), infrastructure is catastrophically underpowered (fewer than 1 in 4 residents in shortage areas can access a provider), digital tools partially compensate (but without clinical validation at scale), and affordability barriers cut across all of the above. The Digital Supplement Score of 55 is the highest-performing dimension — reflecting the extraordinary growth of mental health technology — but this score is tempered by the clinical caution that adoption ≠ efficacy.
The MHDAI™ will be recalculated annually following SAMHSA’s NSDUH release and HRSA’s workforce report updates. Formula, weights, and inputs are fully disclosed above. The MHDAI™ is not affiliated with or endorsed by NIMH, SAMHSA, HRSA, or WHO.
Youth Mental Health Statistics
Young people face a disproportionate burden. Young adults aged 18–25 report the highest AMI prevalence of any adult group (36.2% in the most recent NIMH data). The WHO’s Atlas 2024 confirms that young adults 20–29 show the largest increases in prevalence over the past decade. Among adolescents, approximately 49.5% will meet lifetime criteria for any mental disorder before adulthood, per the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health remains the authoritative institutional statement on teen exposure risk. It documents that adolescents who spend more than 3 hours per day on social media face double the risk of depression and anxiety — a threshold that the typical American teen in grades 8 and 10 already exceeds, averaging 3.5 hours of daily social media use. Pew Research Center’s April 2025 mental health report found that only 11% of teens believe social media has a mostly positive effect on people their age, while usage remains near-universal.
Regarding gender: anxiety disorders affect young women (40.4%) at a substantially higher rate than young men (26.4%) in the 18–25 age group, per NIMH. PTSD lifetime prevalence is 10.4% for women versus 5.0% for men.
For a full analysis of teen digital risk see Axis Intelligence Research’s Teen Online Safety Statistics 2026 and Teen Social Media Statistics 2026.
Mental Health and the Workforce
The intersection of mental health and work is where the economic burden is most visible and most measured. The WHO’s figure of 12 billion lost working days annually from depression and anxiety alone quantifies the output cost of the treatment gap.
Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace Report found only 20% of employees globally were engaged at work in 2025, with 40% experiencing significant daily stress. Low engagement — driven significantly by mental health strain — costs the global economy $8.9 trillion per year, per Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace estimate.
According to the APA’s 2025 Work and Well-being Survey, 84% of employees identified at least one workplace factor that negatively affected their mental health, with low pay, long hours, lack of autonomy, and excessive workload as top contributors. NAMI’s 2026 workplace poll found 46% of workers worry about losing their job if they discuss mental health at work. Mind Share Partners’ 2025 research found employees who feel their mental health is supported are twice as likely to experience no burnout or depression.
The tech-specific dimension: 13% of employees report that concern about how AI will impact their role is a direct driver of their burnout, per Moodle’s 2025 workplace research. For the technology workforce specifically, this figure likely underrepresents the actual AI-related anxiety, given that tech sector roles face the highest documented exposure to automation in AI impact modeling.
For workforce statistics on AI’s impact on jobs see Axis Intelligence Research’s Tech Layoffs Statistics 2026.
Global Mental Health Spending and Policy
Less than 2% of national health budgets globally are allocated to mental health, per WHO Atlas 2024 — a persistent structural underfunding that directly sustains the treatment gap. In high-income countries the allocation is somewhat higher but still routinely below 10% of total health spending, despite mental disorders accounting for 1 in 6 years lived with disability.
The September 2025 United Nations High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases and promotion of mental health and well-being served as the policy backdrop for WHO’s dual-report release. Countries with comprehensive national suicide prevention strategies — Scotland and Chile are documented examples — have achieved reductions in suicide rates through coordinated approaches involving mental health services, community outreach, and media guidelines.
On digital therapeutics regulation: regulatory bodies are strengthening oversight of mental health applications making clinical claims, per multiple market analyses. The shift from direct-to-consumer wellness apps toward clinically regulated digital therapeutics is underway, supported in the U.S. by newly activated reimbursement codes from Medicare for certain digital mental health tools. This policy development represents the key structural change that could significantly shift the digital supplement dimension of the MHDAI™ in 2027 and beyond.
Methodology
Data Collection
All primary statistics in this article were sourced from documents fetched and read during production in July 2026. The core data sources are:
Federal primary sources: NIMH’s Mental Illness statistics page (updated September 2024, nimh.nih.gov); NIMH’s Suicide statistics page; CDC’s Suicide Data and Statistics page (updated May 2026, cdc.gov); CDC WISQARS Fatal Injury Reports 2024, retrieved April 7, 2026 per AFSP; SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (published August 2025); HRSA State of the Behavioral Health Workforce 2025 (December 2025); HRSA Designated HPSA Quarterly Report (April 1, 2026).
International primary sources: WHO World Mental Health Today and Mental Health Atlas 2024, released September 2, 2025; Global Burden of Disease 2021 analysis published in European Psychiatry (August 2025).
Market data: Multiple research firm estimates for the mental health apps market (Mordor Intelligence, SNS Insider, Fortune Business Insights, Global Market Insights, Grand View Research, Straits Research) — presented as a range, not a single figure, because the scope definitions differ meaningfully. AI mental health specific market data from Mordor Intelligence and Grand View Research. AI therapy adoption statistics from Psychology.com, July 2026, sourced from APA surveys, KFF/Harvard Medicine 2025, and OpenAI disclosures (October 2025).
Workforce and economic data: Gallup 2026 State of the Global Workplace Report (cited via Spring Health and WorkTime); APA Work and Well-being Survey 2025; NAMI/Ipsos 2026 workplace poll; American Psychiatric Association cost estimates; Moodle 2025 workplace research.
The MHDAI™ Metric
The Mental Health Digital Access Index is an original Axis Intelligence Research composite metric, first published July 2026. It combines four dimensions into a single 0–100 score. All inputs are derived from primary federal surveys and HRSA administrative data. The Digital Supplement Score uses a conservative methodology — scoring digital access against the total addressable need for mental health care, not just against current digital market size — reflecting clinical uncertainty about AI tool efficacy at scale. The MHDAI™ is not a clinical validity measure; it assesses structural access only.
Limitations: The NIMH/SAMHSA AMI and SMI prevalence data uses a model-based approach from clinical interview data collected on a subset of NSDUH respondents; it is not a direct clinical assessment of all survey participants. The 2022 NSDUH data reflects pandemic-era data collection changes (40.7% web interviews), and year-over-year comparison with pre-2020 data carries methodological caveats. The mental health apps market size figures are projections from market research firms using proprietary estimation methodologies; they should be interpreted directionally. WHO’s 1 billion figure covers all mental disorders but reflects the global count of identified cases in a given year — the true global burden is likely higher given diagnostic infrastructure gaps in LMICs.
About This Dataset
This dataset covers U.S. and global mental health statistics from 2019 through 2025/2026, sourced from federal agencies (NIMH, CDC, SAMHSA, HRSA), international bodies (WHO), and commercial market research firms. It is designed for journalists, policymakers, employers, digital health professionals, and researchers working at the intersection of mental health, technology, and public policy.
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may use, share, and adapt this data for any purpose, including commercial use, with attribution.
Citation format:
APA: Axis Intelligence Research, & Miller, J. (2026, July 23). Mental health statistics 2026: Global burden, treatment gap, and the digital health inflection. Axis Intelligence. https://axis-intelligence.com/mental-health-statistics/
MLA: Axis Intelligence Research and Jennifer Miller. “Mental Health Statistics 2026: Global Burden, Treatment Gap, and the Digital Health Inflection.” Axis Intelligence, 23 July 2026, axis-intelligence.com/mental-health-statistics/.
Chicago: Axis Intelligence Research and Jennifer Miller. “Mental Health Statistics 2026: Global Burden, Treatment Gap, and the Digital Health Inflection.” Axis Intelligence, July 23, 2026. https://axis-intelligence.com/mental-health-statistics/.
Last updated: July 23, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have a mental health disorder worldwide?
More than 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental health disorder, according to the World Health Organization’s September 2, 2025 reports — World Mental Health Today and Mental Health Atlas 2024. Anxiety and depressive disorders account for more than two-thirds of all cases. Nearly half of all mental disorders begin before age 18.
How many Americans have a mental illness?
According to SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 61.5 million U.S. adults — 23.4% of the adult population — experienced any mental illness in 2024. Serious mental illness affected approximately 15.4 million adults (6.0%) in the most recent NIMH data cycle (2022). Young adults aged 18–25 carry the highest burden at 36.2% AMI prevalence.
What percentage of people with mental illness receive treatment?
In the United States, 48% of adults with any mental illness received no mental health treatment in 2024, per SAMHSA’s 2024 NSDUH data. Globally, the treatment gap exceeds 50%, per WHO Atlas 2024. The gap is widest for minority groups: Black or African American adults with AMI received treatment at a rate of 37.9% versus 56.1% for White adults, per NIMH.
What is the economic cost of mental health disorders?
Depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion annually in lost productivity via approximately 12 billion lost working days per year, per WHO. U.S.-specific estimates include $210.5 billion annually in absenteeism and reduced productivity from unresolved depression (APA), $44 billion in depression-related costs to employers (NAMI), and $150 billion in presenteeism costs (Gallup). Gallup estimated low employee engagement — significantly driven by mental health strain — cost the world economy approximately $10 trillion in 2025.
How big is the mental health apps market?
The global mental health apps market was valued at approximately $8.4–$9.6 billion in 2025 across multiple research firm estimates. It is projected to reach approximately $9.4–$9.8 billion in 2026 and is forecast to grow at CAGRs of 14–19% through the early 2030s, potentially reaching $18–$45 billion depending on scope and methodology. North America holds roughly 39–47% of market revenue.
What is the mental health provider shortage in the United States?
As of December 2025, 137 million Americans — 40% of the U.S. population — live in federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, per HRSA’s State of the Behavioral Health Workforce 2025. Only 26.4% of mental health workforce need is being met in those shortage areas, per HRSA’s April 2026 quarterly report. HRSA projects a shortage of 43,660 adult psychiatrists by 2038 alongside shortfalls in counselors, psychologists, and child psychiatrists.
How many people die by suicide each year in the United States?
In 2024, 48,824 people died by suicide in the United States — a 1% decrease from 49,316 in 2023, per CDC WISQARS data cited by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (April 2026). The age-adjusted rate was 13.7 per 100,000 — 32% above the 2000 baseline. In 2024, 14.3 million U.S. adults had serious thoughts of suicide, 4.6 million planned a suicide attempt, and 2.2 million attempted suicide, per CDC. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (U.S., available 24/7).
What is AI’s role in mental health care?
AI-powered mental health solutions grew from approximately $1.71–$1.82 billion in 2025 to a projected $2.42 billion in 2026, at a 32.74% CAGR (Mordor Intelligence). More than 10,000 mental health apps now incorporate AI. On the consumer side, 48.7% of AI users with mental health challenges have used a major LLM (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini) for therapeutic support, per APA survey data. Randomized controlled trials show tools like Therabot achieve symptom reductions comparable to human therapy in controlled settings — but population-level clinical validation at scale remains an open research question.
What is the MHDAI™ and what does it measure?
The Mental Health Digital Access Index (MHDAI™) is an original composite metric developed by Axis Intelligence Research, first published July 2026. It scores the effective accessibility of mental health support for U.S. adults on a 0–100 scale across four dimensions: treatment access rate (35% weight), provider availability in shortage areas (30% weight), digital mental health supplement (20% weight), and affordability (15% weight). The current MHDAI™ score of 38.4 out of 100 reflects that slightly over half of those who need care receive it, fewer than 1 in 4 residents in shortage areas can access a provider, digital tools partially fill the gap but without full clinical validation, and cost barriers compound all of the above.
How does mental health affect workplace productivity?
The WHO estimates depression and anxiety account for 12 billion lost working days globally per year, costing approximately $1 trillion in annual productivity. In the U.S., unresolved depression costs employers approximately $210.5 billion annually in absenteeism and reduced output (APA). Presenteeism from mental health conditions costs a further $150 billion annually. Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace Report found only 20% of employees globally were engaged at work in 2025, with 40% experiencing significant daily stress. Workplaces that prioritize mental health see 13% higher productivity, per Gallup research.