According to a new study published in The Lancet, cases of depression and anxiety increased by over a quarter across the globe during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular among women and young adults.

According to the first estimate of the impact of the pandemic on mental health globally, it was estimated that there were an additional 53 million individuals who had major depressive disorder in 2020, besides an additional 76 million people who suffered from anxiety. This translates to a 28% and 26% rise, respectively, in the two conditions.

Researchers analyzed the data accumulated from North America, Europe and East Asia and modelled the expected prevalence of depression and anxiety. In the absence of the pandemic, 193 million cases of depression would have been expected, while the number of cases actually observed was 246 million during 2020. Additionally, 298 million cases of anxiety would have occurred in the absence of COVID-19, while the actual number was 374 million in 2020… (NDTV-AFP & Reuters, October 9, 2020)