Global prevalence of anxiety and depression jumped by 25% during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, a scientific brief from the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed.

However, according to WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, this is most likely “just the tip of the iceberg”.

“This is a wake-up call to all countries to pay more attention to mental health and do a better job of supporting their populations’ mental health,” he said.

The brief includes a comprehensive review of existing evidence about the impact of Covid-19 on mental health and mental health services and includes estimates from the latest Global Burden of Disease study.

It noted that the unprecedented stress caused by social isolation during the pandemic had a major role to play in mental health. This included constraints on people’s abilities to work, seek support from loved ones and engage in their communities.

Other stressors linked to this included loneliness, fear, grief and financial worries.

Meanwhile among healthcare workers, exhaustion has been a major trigger for suicidal thinking.

The brief noted that the mental health of young people and women had been worst hit. Furthermore, those with pre-existing physical health conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and asthma, were more likely to develop symptoms of mental disorders.

The brief also noted that while data suggests that people with pre-existing mental disorders do not appear to be disproportionately vulnerable to Covid-19 infection, when they become infected, they are more likely to suffer hospitalisation, severe illness and death compared to people without mental disorders.

Those with more severe mental disorders, such as psychoses, and young people with mental disorders, are particularly at risk.

Unfortunately, this rise in mental health problems has coincided with severe disruptions to all health services, including mental health services, resulting in major gaps in care.

For much of the pandemic, services for mental, neurological and substance use conditions were the most disrupted among all essential health services reported by WHO member states.

The brief acknowledged that by the end of 2021, the situation had somewhat improved, but it warned that too many people are still unable to get the care and support they need for both pre-existing and newly developed mental health conditions.

It called for a “global step up in investment” to tackle this issue.

”While the pandemic has generated interest in and concern for mental health, it has also revealed historical under-investment in mental health services. Countries must act urgently to ensure that mental health support is available to all,” commented Dévora Kestel, director of the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Use.

The scientific brief can be downloaded here.