More than one billion people worldwide are now living with mental health disorders, according to new figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO). Conditions such as anxiety and depression are widespread, affecting all communities and age groups, and are a major contributor to disability, rising health costs, and lost productivity. The WHO is calling for urgent investment to expand services, warning that mental health must be treated as a fundamental right rather than a privilege.
The organisation’s latest reports – World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024 – highlight both progress and persistent shortcomings. While many governments have strengthened policies and introduced community-based programmes, spending has stagnated at just 2% of health budgets worldwide. Huge inequalities remain, with high-income nations spending up to $65 per person on mental health compared with only a few cents in poorer countries. Staffing shortages are also critical, particularly in low- and middle-income regions.
Suicide continues to pose a devastating challenge, with more than 700,000 lives lost in 2021. Current progress suggests the UN target of cutting suicide rates by one-third by 2030 will not be met. Depression and anxiety alone are estimated to cost the global economy over $1 trillion annually.
The WHO is urging governments to step up legal reforms, increase funding, and expand access to community-based care. It argues that scaling up mental health support would not only save lives but also strengthen societies and economies worldwide.
The government has confirmed a £500 million investment to deliver England’s first Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care workers, aiming to tackle low pay and poor working conditions in a sector long criticised as undervalued. A new statutory body will be established to bring unions and employers together, tasked with negotiating wages and working conditions, as well as improving recruitment and retention. The plans, underpinned by the Employment Rights Bill, will see the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body created in 2026, with the first Fair Pay Agreement expected to take effect in 2028.
The Fair Work Agency will also be introduced to strengthen enforcement, ensuring providers comply with new standards and preventing exploitation. The £500m sits within a wider £4bn boost for adult social care between 2025-26 and 2028-29, though critics argue it will not stretch far enough. Early analysis suggests the sum could equate to only a modest uplift in hourly pay when shared across the sector’s 1.5 million-strong workforce.
Sector leaders have welcomed the move but caution that meaningful reform requires more than headline funding. The Care Provider Alliance and the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group have both stressed the importance of fully resourced negotiations and local authority support to prevent rising costs being passed on to service users.
Think tanks, including the Health Foundation and the King’s Fund, warn that while the Fair Pay Agreement is an important first step, sustained long-term funding is essential. Without it, they argue, any gains in pay risk being offset by higher care fees or cuts to frontline services.
