New research estimates that globally, only 6.9 per cent of people with mental health or substance-use disorders receive effective treatment for their disorders.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and Harvard Medical School analyzed survey data from nearly 57,000 participants in 21 countries collected over a 19-year period, to provide the clearest picture yet of where people discontinue their path to effective treatment for nine common anxiety, mood and substance-use disorders.

The biggest barrier to effective treatment is a person not recognizing that they need it, the study showed. However, even patients who contact the healthcare system often do not receive effective treatment.

“This survey data has allowed us to create the only effective treatment indicator that exists for mental health and substance use,” said lead author Dr. Daniel Vigo, associate professor at UBC’s department of psychiatry and school of population and public health. “Policy decisions and allocative decisions for funding should be guided by data, and this hasn’t always been the case in the realm of mental health and substance use.”

The World Health Organization-World Mental Health Surveys Initiative collects data on the prevalence, severity and treatment of mental disorders worldwide. This study focused on survey participants who met criteria for a disorder under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV, a standardized classification system used by mental health professionals from 1994 to 2013.

The team, led by Dr. Vigo and Dr. Ronald Kessler of Harvard, was interested in how close participants got to receiving effective treatment that met evidence-based guidelines—and where they might have dropped off along the way.

Source: https://news.ubc.ca/2025/02/global-study-of-mental-health-treatment/