The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that suicide is responsible for more than one in every 100 deaths globally, urging for immediate action to address the escalating mental health crisis, especially among young people.
According to the UN agency’s latest data, approximately 727,000 people died by suicide in 2021. While the global suicide rate has decreased by 35% since 2000, experts believe this progress is not enough to meet international targets.
“For every suicide, there are 20 attempts,” said Deborah Castel, acting head of WHO’s Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Department. “These deaths end lives but also inflict lasting trauma on families, friends and caregivers.”
A Leading Cause of Death Among the Young
The WHO’s World Mental Health Report found that suicide remains one of the top three causes of death for individuals aged 15 to 29. In 2021, it was the second leading cause of death for young women in that age group and the third leading cause for young men. Despite a global decline, suicide rates in the Americas increased by 17% between 2000 and 2021. While nearly three-quarters of suicides occur in low-income countries, higher rates relative to population are often reported in wealthier nations where data collection is more robust.
Mental Illness on the Rise
The report also cautions that as suicides slowly decline, mental illnesses like depression and anxiety are increasing sharply. Between 2011 and 2021, the number of people with mental health conditions grew faster than the global population. Today, more than one billion people worldwide live with mental health disorders. The WHO identified social media pressures and the COVID-19 pandemic as major factors contributing to the decline in mental health among young people.
Funding Gaps
The agency criticized governments for stagnant mental health investment, noting that since 2017, only 2% of global health budgets have been allocated to mental health. Alarmingly, WHO data reveals that only 9% of people suffering from depression receive treatment.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called mental health “the greatest public health challenge of our time,” and urged countries to increase resources, prevention, and treatment efforts.
