More than half of the mental health disease burden affects those under age 40. Addressing mental health needs could set up individuals for better health throughout their lifespan. Investing in mental health interventions is thus critical, Partner Kana Enomoto and coauthors note, pointing to its ability to not only improve overall health but also workforce productivity.
Image description:
A pair of bar charts displays the primary disease burden, as a percentage of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), for mental health conditions and non-mental-health noncommunicable diseases, as of 2025, broken down by age group. The chart on the left depicts the primary disease burden of mental health conditions. Over 50% of the burden is attributed to individuals under age 40. The chart on the right shows the primary disease burden of non-mental-health noncommunicable diseases. Over 50% of this burden is attributed to individuals over age 60.
Note: This image description was completed with the assistance of Writer, a gen AI tool.
Source: Global Burden of Disease study 2021: Findings from the GBD 2021 study, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, May 16, 2024.
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To read the report, see “Investing in the future: How better mental health benefits everyone,” April 25, 2025.