A study published in The Lancet Global Health on April 24, 2025, has revealed a stark reality for global mental health: more than 80 percent of countries and territories lack recent, nationally representative data on the prevalence of mental health conditions, with children and low-income regions facing the greatest information deficits. This data vacuum threatens to undermine policy, advocacy, and service delivery at a time when mental health is climbing the global policy agenda.
Landmark Research: Scope and Significance
The study systematically analyzed the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 dataset. Researchers examined 1,241 unique, nationally representative data sources on 11 mental health conditions-including neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and substance-use disorders-spanning 204 countries and territories since 1950.
Key Findings: Where the Gaps Are Largest
1. Children Are the Least Represented
- Nearly 90% of countries have no nationally representative data on mental health conditions in children.
- Neurodevelopmental disorders (such as autism spectrum disorder and ADHD) are especially underrepresented, with less than 13% of countries reporting any prevalence data for these conditions.
- Most available datasets for children were collected before 2010, failing to reflect current challenges or trends.
2. Low- and Middle-Income Countries Left Behind
- Low-income countries have the largest data gaps, with no data on neurodevelopmental disorders, only 29% with any data on general psychiatric disorders, and just 21% with data on substance-use disorders.
- The African and Western Pacific regions are the most affected, with the African region lacking any nationally representative data sources for children.
3. Most Data Are Outdated
Across all disorders, 70–80% of the data were collected before 2010, raising concerns about their relevance given recent increases in mental health distress and changing societal factors.
4. Adult Data Predominate
The majority of data sources focus on adults, with significant gaps for early childhood (0–4 years) and adolescence (10–19 years), despite these being critical periods for the onset of mental health conditions.
Implications: Why Data Gaps Matter
The absence of timely, high-quality, and representative mental health data has profound consequences:
- Policy Blind Spots: Without accurate prevalence data, governments and international agencies cannot allocate resources effectively or design evidence-based interventions.
- Stigma and Advocacy: Data gaps perpetuate stigma by keeping the true scale of mental health needs invisible, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children and those in low-income settings.
- Global Inequity: The predominance of data from high-income countries skews the global understanding of mental health, limiting the applicability of research and interventions in diverse settings.
Recommendations: Bridging the Data Divide
The study’s authors and global mental health advocates urge several key actions:
- Investment in Data Infrastructure: Support national and international efforts to collect, update, and harmonize mental health data, especially for children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries.
- Open Science and Cross-Sector Partnerships: Leverage open data frameworks and collaborations across research, government, and civil society to close knowledge gaps.
- Focus on Underrepresented Groups: Prioritize data collection for children, adolescents, and marginalized populations to ensure inclusive policy development.
- Regular Data Updates: Establish mechanisms for ongoing, periodic data collection to capture emerging trends and inform timely responses.
Conclusion: A Roadmap for Global Mental Health Equity
The findings of this comprehensive analysis serve as a wake-up call for the international community. As mental health rises on the global policy agenda-especially ahead of the United Nations General Assembly’s focus on accelerating action for mental health-addressing data gaps is an urgent priority. Only with robust, up-to-date, and inclusive data can the world hope to design effective policies, reduce stigma, and ensure that no one, especially children and those in low-resource settings, is left behind.
Reference: Casella, Caio B., Antonis A. Kousoulis, Brandon A. Kohrt, Jason Bantjes, Christian Kieling, Pim Cuijpers, Sarah Kline et al. “Data gaps in prevalence rates of mental health conditions around the world: a retrospective analysis of nationally representative data.” The Lancet Global Health 13, no. 5 (2025): e879-e887.
More articles: https://www.riglobal.org/ri-newsletter-april-2025/
