Seven years ago, the results of the survey showed that 27% of the selected group from all over the world considered mental health to be the biggest health problem. Recent surveys by market research and consulting firm Ipsos show that figure has risen to 45 percent and is now overshadowed by concerns about cancer. stressobesity and drug abuse. 50% of American respondents rated mental health as their most important health concern. Many in the mental health field can attest to this as we have seen our caseloads increase and the demand for our services increase. common mental health problems such as worrystress and depression has always existed, but how and why did such a significant increase occur, and what should be done to solve this surprising fact?
The positive side of this significant increase in mental health concern is that it shows that people are thinking about it, paying attention to it. attention and actively evaluate how they react, feel, and respond to stressors. Mental health has become mainstream and is now widely recognized as an important part of overall health. We no longer think of mental health or self-care as “trends” or “fads.” Rather, we see them as essential to our well-being. But worryingly, almost half of those surveyed in 30 countries considered mental health to be a ‘worry’. People are as actively concerned about their psychological well-being as they are at risk of developing a debilitating illness or disease. There’s good reason for this growing concern: “death by despair,” including suicide, drug overdose, and death alcoholismhas more than doubled in the last two decades (Galoustain, 2025). In general, people are struggling more psychologically than they have been lately memorysometimes with fatal consequences.
Why we care more about our mental health
A natural question is: why? What forces underlie this phenomenon? We can look at a few factors that may help us understand why we see these mental health indicators:
- We haven’t recovered from the pandemic: During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the belief that mental health is a problem has increased significantly. Interestingly, as views Corona virus as a serious health problem fell from 70 percent to 6 percent in 2020, while the perception of mental health as a serious problem increased by almost 30 percent. The pandemic has had such an unprecedented impact on our mental health and sense of psychological safety that the effects are still being felt, according to these surveys. We must always consider the impact of large-scale social phenomena on our mental health. The pandemic may have had the greatest impact on mental health of any event in the past three decades.
- We are overwhelmed with daily stressors: According to the authors of the survey, “in a world where many are constantly worrying about everything crime From the cost of living to unemployment, perhaps it’s no surprise that emotional struggles grip the public. imagination These days” (Ipsos, 2025). Again, those of us in the mental health field can confirm this conclusion: our clients’ problems such as anxiety, stress and depression are directly related to larger social problems. Concerns about finances, work, physical safety, political upheaval and government policies have become common themes. therapy in recent years.
- We feel less autonomous: We increasingly rely on technology, and in some cases are problematically dependent on it. Belief in automation is associated with a loss of autonomy, which can have a negative impact on our emotions. When we feel out of control, we are prone to anxiety and depression, and their rise AI significantly affected our sense of autonomy. I’ve heard many of my clients fear that AI will replace their jobs and make them obsolete. Hurtling technology that seems unchecked can cause emotional problems.
- Our youth are struggling: Statistics show that young people are struggling more than ever before; 72% of Gen Z said they had an unbearable period due to stress at least once in the past 12 months. This fact affects the numbers reflected in the survey. With individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 making up about a quarter of the US population, the reality of youth mental health issues cannot be ignored.
- We work too much and rest too little: Gone are the days of quitting your job and moving on to another part of life. Doing so today requires a collaborative effort to create boundaries with our work, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. This blurring of work and life is our mental health. Employment rates in 2025 tiredness reached a record high of 66 percent (Robinson, 2025). Burnout causes a number of psychological problems, including depression, sleep problems, cognitive impairment, and emotional problems. cynicism (Khammissa et al., 2022).
Recognition only goes so far
These common mental health concerns should be taken seriously. This survey shows not only how much we are aware of our psychological well-being, but also how much it is affected by external factors. The problem is that recognition only goes so far: Our mental health services continue to be strained, and the availability and access to psychological services has unfortunately not kept pace with the number of people concerned about their mental health. But understanding why we worry more about our mental health can be a starting point. If we acknowledge that we are suffering psychological trauma from the pandemic, that we feel surrounded by daily stresses, overwhelmed by technology, and that we are overworked, we can better understand why mental health is so difficult these days. And from there, we can make adjustments and changes that help us worry less about our mental health.
