Trends in the prevalence and burden of mental disorders among adolescents and young adults, 1990–2021

Background: Mental disorders significantly contribute to the global disease burden, often beginning in childhood and adolescence. This study evaluates trends and disease burdens of mental disorders in individuals aged 10 to 24 from 1990 to 2021. Methods: We utilized data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 to analyze age-standardized prevalence (ASP) and age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 10 mental disorder categories. Trend analysis employed joinpoint regression and the age-period-cohort model to assess interactions among age, period, and cohort effects while decomposing DALY trends into population growth, aging, and morbidity changes. Results: The ASP of mental disorders rose from 13,824.9 (95% uncertainty intervals [UI]: 12,010.6-15,751.2) per 100,000 in 1990 to 14,764.9 (95% UI: 12,804.9-16,908.1) in 2021. Age-standardized DALYs increased from 1,680.3 (95% UI: 1,215.3-2,226.5) to 1,919.2 (95% UI: 1,370.5-2,564.1). Anxiety disorders had the highest ASP at 4,968.0 (95% UI: 3,639.4-6,612.3) and DALYs at 609.4 (95% UI: 377.5-909.1) in 2021. Significant increases in ASP and DALYs for anxiety and depressive disorders were noted in 2020 and 2021, particularly among females and across all socio-demographic index (SDI) regions, with higher SDI regions experiencing more rapid growth. Conclusion: This study reveals a concerning rise in mental disorders among adolescents and young adults, especially anxiety and depression, with notable accelerations observed in recent years. These trends highlight the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions for this vulnerable group.