Half of people will develop mental illness by 75, study finds

The study included participants from 29 countries
The median age of onset was 19 for men and 20 for women
Common conditions included depression and phobias

Updated: Jul 31, 2023 / 03:14 PM CDT

(NewsNation) — Half of the population will experience a mental illness by the age of 75, according to new research.

Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Queensland studied people from 29 countries over a 21-year period and determined one in two people will experience mental illness by the age of 75.

For many people, the illness will come much earlier in life. Researchers identified the median age of onset as 19 for men and 20 for women, with the peak age of onset at 15.

The most common mental illnesses among men were substance use disorders, depression and specific phobias.

Among women, the most common illnesses specific phobias and depression, along with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Researchers said the findings should be used to help develop public health interventions in hopes of making it easier to identify illnesses in adolescence, when they are likely to first appear and to connect people with treatment resources.