Rising Burden of Depression Among Adolescents and Young Adults Globally

Strategic Insights -

A recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has provided alarming findings on the increasing burden of depression among adolescents and young adults aged 15-39 years globally. According to the research, the global depression burden among this age group has increased dramatically from 1990 to 2021, with projections indicating a significant rise in the burden on society by 2035. The study highlights the importance of addressing depression as a critical public health issue worldwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • The global depression burden among adolescents and young adults aged 15-39 years has increased dramatically from 1990 to 2021.
  • The burden of depression is significantly higher among males than females, with age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR), age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPR), and age-standardized DALYs rates (ASDR) being highest in high Socio-demographic Index (SDI) regions.
  • The top three ASIR countries/regions are Greenland, Palestine, and Tunisia.
  • Studies have found the burden of depression to be most pronounced among young people in the 35-39 age group.
  • Integrating the SDI shows that ASIR, ASPR, and ASDR are negatively correlated with the SDI for values less than 0.6 and positively correlated for values greater than 0.6.
  • Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) projections indicate a significant increase in DD ASIR, ASPR, and ASDR from 2021 to 2035, further increasing the burden on society.

Statistics:

  • The global depression burden among adolescents and young adults aged 15-39 years has increased by 121.5% from 1990 to 2021.
  • Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) are highest in high SDI regions, with Greenland having the highest ASIR rate with 151.9 cases per 100,000 people.
  • The top three age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPR) countries/regions are Greenland, Palestine, and Tunisia, with Greenland having the highest ASPR rate with 14.8% of the population.
  • Age-standardized DALYs rates (ASDR) are also highest in high SDI regions, with Greenland having the highest ASDR rate with 1,044.9 DALYs per 100,000 people.

Sources:

  • Global, regional and national burden of depression among adolescents and young adults aged 15-39 years, 1990-2021 and projections to 2035: findings from the Global Burden of Disease (2021) study. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2025;191:438-453.
  • Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
  • Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England.