China and India jointly account for 38% of the world population, so understanding the burden attributed to mental, neurological, and substance use disorders within these two countries is essential. As part of the Lancet/Lancet Psychiatry China–India Mental Health Alliance Series, we aim to provide estimates of the burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders for China and India.
This paper presents systematic reviews for community representative epidemiological studies.
Methods
We extracted estimates of prevalence, incidence, remission and duration, and mortality from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013). We then calculated disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) changes, and projected DALYs from 2013 to 2025 for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders.
Findings
Around a third of global Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to mental, neurological, and substance use disorders were found in China and India (66 million DALYs), a number greater than all developed countries combined (50 million DALYs). Disease burden profiles differed; India showed similarities with other developing countries (around 50% of DALYs attributable to non-communicable disease), whereas China more closely resembled developed countries (around 80% of DALYs attributable to non-communicable disease). The overall population growth in India explains a greater proportion of the increase in mental, neurological, and substance use disorder burden from 1990 to 2013 (44%) than in China (20%). The burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders is estimated to increase by 10% in China and 23% in India between 2013 and 2025.
Interpretation
The current and projected burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in China and India warrants the urgent prioritization of programs focused on targeted prevention, early identification, and effective treatment.
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