Mental health facts and statistics

Key facts and statistics on mental health problems and issues.

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How common are mental health problems?


In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week [2].

Are mental health problems increasing?


It appears that how people cope with mental health problems is getting worse as the number of people who self-harm or have suicidal thoughts is increasing [2].

How common are specific problems?

Every seven years a survey is done in England to measure the number of people who have different types of mental health problems [2]. It was last published in 2016 and reported these figures:

Generalised anxiety disorder 5.9 in 100 people
Depression 3.3 in 100 people
Phobias   2.4 in 100 people
OCD  1.3 in 100 people
Panic disorder 0.6 in 100 people
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 4.4 in 100 people
Mixed anxiety and depression 7.8 in 100 people


Psychotic disorder  0.7 in 100 people*
Bipolar disorder  2.0 in 100 people
Antisocial personality disorder  3.3 in 100 people
Borderline personality disorder  2.4 in 100 people

*Measured over the last year.

The survey also measures the number of people who have self-harmed, had suicidal thoughts or have made suicidal attempts over their lifetime:

Suicidal thoughts 20.6 in 100 people
Suicide attempts 6.7 in 100 people
Self-harm 7.3 in 100 people

Note: these statistics have been taken from studies that have surveyed people living in private housing in England [2]. The figures do not include the number of people experiencing mental health problems in hospitals, prisons, sheltered housing or people who are homeless. Therefore these figures may underestimate the prevalence of mental health problems.

How accessible is treatment?

Reports from both England [2] and Wales [3] suggest that approximately 1 in 8 adults with a mental health problem are currently receiving treatment. Medication is reported as the most common type of treatment for a mental health problem [2]

Published April 2017.



[3] Welsh Health Survey 2015: Health status, illness, and other conditions



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