Older adults' mental health statistics

Most older adults are in good health, but many are at risk of depression and anxiety disorders. The World Health Organization says mental health conditions in later life often go unrecognised and untreated, and stigma can make people reluctant to seek help.

Studies draw the line for older age in different places. Some start at forty-five or fifty, others at sixty, sixty-five, seventy or seventy-five, so each figure names its own age band.

Surveys also measure in different ways. A short screening questionnaire flags likely depression but does not diagnose it. Each figure says whether it comes from screening, an interview or a diagnosis, and names its source.

For a plain explanation of the conditions themselves, see our guides to depression in later life and late-life anxiety.

Worldwide

These are estimates that the World Health Organization publishes; for some it cites the Global Burden of Disease study or its own Global Health Estimates. Years lived with disability measure how much ill health a condition causes. The population figure comes from United Nations estimates.

• The World Health Organization, citing Global Burden of Disease estimates, says 14.75% of adults aged 70 and over worldwide lived with a mental disorder in 2023, most commonly anxiety or depression. (modelled estimate, 2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• Among adults aged 70 years and older worldwide, 5.4% experienced depression in 2023. (modelled estimate, 2023 data, checked 9 Oct 2026) ²
• The World Health Organization, citing its Global Health Estimates, says mental disorders account for 6.8% of all years lived with disability among adults aged 70 and over worldwide. (modelled estimate, published 2026, year not stated, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• The World Health Organization, citing United Nations population figures, says 1.1 billion people aged 60 and over were living in the world in 2023. (2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹

Care homes

A review pooled studies that counted diagnoses of major depressive disorder among nursing home residents without dementia. It set no age limit, so residents of any age count. Most of its studies came from North America.

• A review pooling studies of nursing home residents without dementia in 32 studies, most from North America found that 18.9% had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2020, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁴
• A review pooling studies of nursing homes found its highest rate of major depressive disorder among nursing home residents without dementia in North American studies, at 25.4%. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2020, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁴

Dementia, for context

Dementia results from diseases and injuries that affect the brain. The World Health Organization notes that it affects mental health, for example by bringing on symptoms of psychosis and depression, so one figure appears here for context.

• The World Health Organization says 57 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2021. (2021 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁵

Europe

England's figures come from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, which assessed common mental health conditions in an interview about the past week. Adults of working age had these conditions more often than adults aged sixty-five and over.

• Among adults aged 75 and over in England, 10.2% had a common mental health condition, such as depression or an anxiety disorder, in the week before their survey interview in 2023/4. (survey, 2023/4 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁶
• Among women aged 75 and over in England, 2.5% had depression in the week before their survey interview in 2023/4. (survey, 2023/4 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁶

North America

The United States figures come from a national health examination survey. Participants answered a depression questionnaire about the past two weeks. A high score counts as screening positive, not as a diagnosis.

• In the United States, 8.7% of adults aged 60 and older screened positive for depression on a questionnaire about the past two weeks, in a national survey run in 2021-2023. (survey, 2021-2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ³
• In the United States, 10.6% of females aged 60 and older screened positive for depression on a questionnaire about the past two weeks, in a national survey run in 2021-2023. (survey, 2021-2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ³

South America

Brazil's figure comes from the first round of a national study of ageing, ELSI-Brazil, which used a short depression scale. Its sample represents people aged fifty and over who do not live in institutions. This analysis left out people who had retired because of disability.

• Among adults aged 50 and over in Brazil not living in institutions, excluding people retired because of disability, 33.9% reported depressive symptoms on a short screening questionnaire, in a national survey run in 2015-2016. (survey, 2015-2016 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁷

Africa

South Africa's figure comes from the first wave of the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health. It counts adults who reported enough symptoms in the past year to meet the study's criteria, plus those who reported treatment for depression.

• Among adults aged 50 and over in South Africa, 4.0% met the study's criteria for depression in the past year, by symptoms or by reported treatment, in a national survey run in 2008. (survey, past 12 months, 2008 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁸

Asia

India's figure comes from the first wave of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, which used a short diagnostic interview.

• Among adults aged 60 and older in India, 7.6% had depression on a short diagnostic interview, in a national survey run in 2017-18. (survey, 2017-18 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁹

Suicide in later life

The Global Burden of Disease study compared suicide death rates across four broad age groups. The oldest group, aged seventy and over, had the highest rate for both men and women. Its rates are averages over five years, ending in the year shown. The World Health Organization says older adults' mental health conditions need prompt recognition and treatment. Help is available. If you are thinking about suicide, please reach out now. Our page of helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide lists free crisis lines by country.

• In modelled estimates pooled over the five years 2017-2021, men aged 70 and older had the highest suicide death rate worldwide of four broad age bands, at 37.9 per 100,000 people a year. (modelled estimate, 2017-2021 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹⁰

Getting help

In England, adults aged seventy-five and over with symptoms were less likely than those aged sixty-five to seventy-four to be in treatment or to have had talking therapy. The United States and Australia rows give treatment and professional-contact rates for older adults, without an age comparison here. In India, far fewer adults reported a diagnosis of depression than had depression on a short interview.

• In the United States, 19.4% of adults aged 65 and over had received any mental health treatment in the past year, in a national survey run in 2019. (survey, past 12 months, 2019 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹¹
• In the United States, 17.7% of adults aged 65 and over had taken medication for their mental health in the past year, in a national survey run in 2019. (survey, past 12 months, 2019 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹¹
• In the United States, 5.7% of adults aged 65 and over had received counselling or therapy from a mental health professional in the past year, in a national survey run in 2019. (survey, past 12 months, 2019 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹¹
• Among adults aged 65 to 74 in England with symptoms of a common mental health condition, 33.2% were receiving mental health treatment, in a national survey run in 2023/4. (survey, 2023/4 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹²
• Among adults aged 75 and over in England with symptoms of a common mental health condition, 21.9% were receiving mental health treatment, in a national survey run in 2023/4. (survey, 2023/4 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹²
• Among adults aged 65 to 74 in England with symptoms of a common mental health condition, 5.1% were receiving a psychological therapy, in a national survey run in 2023/4. (survey, 2023/4 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹²
• Among adults aged 75 and over in England with symptoms of a common mental health condition, 2.8% were receiving a psychological therapy, in a national survey run in 2023/4. (survey, 2023/4 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹²
• In Australia, 8.1% of people aged 65 to 85 saw a health professional for their mental health in the past year, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹³
• In Australia, 35.1% of people aged 65 to 85 with a mental disorder in the past year saw a health professional for their mental health, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹³
• Among adults aged 45 and older in India, 5.7% had depression on a short diagnostic interview (age standardised), in a national survey run in 2017-18. (survey, 2017-18 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁹
• Among adults aged 45 and older in India, 0.5% reported a past diagnosis of depression (age standardised), in a national survey run in 2017-18. (survey, 2017-18 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁹

Depression in national surveys of older adults

These surveys used different questions, age bands, periods and years. Read each row with its label, and do not rank the countries.

How to read these figures

A screening questionnaire flags likely depression. It does not diagnose it.

Surveys ask about different periods: the past week, the past two weeks or the past year. Compare figures only when the period, age band and method match.

The worldwide figures for adults aged seventy and over are World Health Organization estimates, not results from a single survey.

Brazil's survey left out people living in institutions, and the study's analysis also left out people who had retired because of disability. The care home figures come from a separate review of nursing home studies.

The World Health Organization says prompt recognition and treatment of mental health conditions in older adults is essential. It usually recommends a mix of mental health care alongside support for health, personal care and social needs.

If you or someone you care for is struggling, a therapist can help. Our guide on how to find the right therapist explains what to look for. If you are in distress or thinking about suicide, please seek help now: see our helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide.

Cite this page: TherapyRoute. Older adults' mental health statistics. https://www.therapyroute.com/article/older-adults-mental-health-statistics-by-therapyroute. Last updated 10 October 2026.

References

1. [1] Mental health of older adults. World Health Organization, 20 July 2026 who.int.
2. [2] Depressive disorder (depression). World Health Organization, 11 September 2026 who.int.
3. [3] Depression Prevalence in Adolescents and Adults: United States, August 2021-August 2023. National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), NCHS Data Brief No. 527 (Brody and Hughes), April 2025 cdc.gov.
4. [4] Prevalence and correlates of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia among nursing home residents without dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry (Fornaro et al.), January 2020 cambridge.org.
5. [5] Dementia. World Health Organization, 3 July 2026 who.int.
6. [6] Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4: Common mental health conditions. NHS England, 27 November 2025 digital.nhs.uk.
7. [7] Depressive symptoms and receipt of pensions: a cross-sectional analysis of the ELSI-Brazil study. Epidemiologia e Serviços de Saúde (Freitas et al.), 1 December 2023 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
8. [8] Depression and associated factors in older adults in South Africa. Global Health Action (Peltzer and Phaswana-Mafuya), 18 January 2013 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
9. [9] Sub-national patterns and correlates of depression among adults 45 years or older: findings from wave 1 of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India. The Lancet Psychiatry (Arokiasamy et al.), August 2022 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
10. [10] Global, regional, and national burden of suicide, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet Public Health (GBD 2021 Suicide Collaborators), 2025 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
11. [11] Mental Health Treatment Among Adults: United States, 2019. National Center for Health Statistics (Terlizzi and Zablotsky), September 2020 cdc.gov.
12. [12] Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4: Mental health treatment and service use. NHS England (Clery et al.), 27 November 2025 digital.nhs.uk.
13. [13] National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020-2022. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 5 October 2023 abs.gov.au.