ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1644610
This article is part of the Research TopicPreserving Emotional Health in Aging: Unraveling the Neural Mechanisms and Implications for Neurodegenerative DiseasesView all 5 articles
Global Trends and Health Inequalities in Mental Disorders Among Older Adults: A Comprehensive Analysis Using Global Burden of Disease 2021 Data
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
- 2Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, China
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Abstract Objective: This study aims to analyze global trends and health inequalities in mental disorders among older adults (≥60 years) using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data, with a focus on informing equity-focused public health strategies to address disparities in burden and access to care. Methods: Using GBD 2021 data, we examined mental disorders in adults ≥60 across 204 countries (1990-2021). We calculated age-standardized incidence (ASIR) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort modeling and frontier analysis assessed trends and projections. Analyses used R (v4.4.2) and JD_GBDR software. Findings: In 2021, there were 74.9 million (95%UI: 59.8–94.2) new mental disorder cases among older adults globally, with an ASIR of 6,867.6 per 100,000. ASIR remained stable since 1990 (EAPC: 0.01), but varied regionally from 13,024.1 (Central Sub-Saharan Africa) to 4,643.9 (Oceania). The age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) was 2,095.4 per 100,000, highest in low-SDI regions (2,423.9) and lowest in high-SDI regions (1,934.2). Females had higher ASIR (7,483.7 vs. 5,181.6) and ASDR (2,198.3 vs. 1,760.2) than males, with male DALYs increasing (EAPC: 0.07). By 2035, ASDR is projected to rise to 2,494.5, with depressive and anxiety disorders predominant in high-SDI regions and schizophrenia more prevalent in low-SDI areas. Conclusion: Significant disparities persist, with low-SDI regions and women disproportionately affected. Targeted strategies should strengthen mental healthcare access, implement sex-specific interventions, and address aging-related challenges.
Keywords: geriatric mental health, Global burden of disease, Socio-demographic index (SDI), Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), Health Inequalities.
Received: 11 Jun 2025; Accepted: 07 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Dong, Xu, Long and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kai Liu, Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, China
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