Mental illness is common, complex, and costly. The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that one in every eight people in the world live with a mental disorder.1 Anxiety and depressive disorders are recognisably the most common conditions, notwithstanding cultural variations in descriptive terminology across communities, societies, and countries. Overall, mental illness is very common, with almost one billion people affected directly and many others impacted indirectly: family, friends, colleagues, and wider communities.2
Like women, men can be affected by a broad range of mental illnesses including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, substance misuse, attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and various other conditions.3 In 2023, the US National Institute of Mental Health noted that “certain symptoms may be more common in men than women, and the course of illness can be affected by a person’s sex. Researchers are only now beginning to tease apart the various biological and psychosocial factors that may impact mental health. Men are less likely to have received mental health treatment than women in the past year”.4
For verified healthcare professionals
Log in or register for free to read this article. HPN is for healthcare professionals, so new accounts are verified by our team.
