Change in global burden of depressive and anxiety disorders due to pandemic: Insight from GBD 2021.

Publication date: Jul 07, 2025

Few studies have focused on trends in changes in major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorder (AD) during COVID-19 pandemic, especially among different sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 was utilized to describe the temporal trends in age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) of MDD and AD from 1990 to 2021 and to compare the ASIRs of COVID-19, MDD and AD for different sexes, age groups and SDI regions between 2019 and 2021. Globally, the burdens of MDD and AD significantly increased from 2019 to 2021. In 2021, the global incidence of MDD was estimated at 341. 1 million cases, with an ASIR of 4135. 1 per 100,000 people, while AD accounted for 53. 9 million cases, corresponding to an ASIR of 678. 3 per 100,000 people. Surprisingly, high-SDI regions, which appeared to be least affected by the pandemic, presented the most pronounced increase in the ASIRs of patients with MDD, especially women. Interestingly, high-income North America, Western Europe and the high-income Asia-Pacific region, which are less severely affected by the pandemic, presented significant increases in the percentages of patients with MDD and AD. Our study revealed that the pandemic had a profound impact on the global burden of depressive and anxiety disorders, which dramatically increased in just two years. Notably, high-SDI regions, which are less affected by pandemics, had the greatest increases in MDD and AD incidence, especially among young women in high-SDI regions.

Semantics

Original Article