Physical and mental health statistics

Physical health and mental health influence each other. The World Health Organization says depression is closely related to, and affected by, physical health. It says the same of anxiety disorders.

The clearest sign of the link is early death. The World Health Organization says preventable physical health conditions shorten the lives of people with severe mental disorders. Most of these early deaths are due to physical health conditions. Health systems, and people themselves, commonly overlook their physical health.

Studies measure the link in different ways. A relative risk compares how often something happens in one group with how often it happens in another. A relative risk is not a share of people, and it does not prove that one condition causes the other. Each figure below names its measure.

The mortality gap

These reviews pooled cohort studies that followed people with and without a mental disorder over time. They compared how many people died in each group.

• Pooling cohort studies from many countries, people with mental disorders were 2.22 times as likely to die during follow-up as people without them (a pooled relative risk). (pooled from cohort studies, published 2015, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• Across the cohort studies that reported it, people with mental disorders lost a median of 10 years of potential life. (pooled from cohort studies, published 2015, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• People with schizophrenia were 2.52 times as likely to die during these studies as people without it. (pooled from cohort studies, published 2022, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁴
• Pooling mostly cohort studies, people with bipolar disorder were 2.02 times as likely to die during follow-up as the general population or control groups. (meta-analysis of studies, published 2023, checked 13 Oct 2026) ⁵
• Pooling the studies, people with bipolar disorder lost an average of 12.89 years of potential life. (pooled from cohort studies, published 2022, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁶

What people die of

Natural causes are deaths from diseases and medical conditions. Unnatural causes are suicide, homicide and accidents. The World Health Organization says early death in schizophrenia is often due to cardiovascular, metabolic and infectious diseases.

• In the cohort studies reviewed, 67.3% of deaths among people with mental disorders were from natural causes. (pooled from cohort studies, published 2015, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• In the cohort studies reviewed, 17.5% of deaths among people with mental disorders were from unnatural causes. (pooled from cohort studies, published 2015, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• In pooled cohort studies, people with bipolar disorder were 1.76 times as likely to die of cardiovascular causes as people without it. (pooled from cohort studies, published 2023, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁵
• In Ethiopia, 49.6% of deaths among people with severe mental illness screened at ages 15 to 49 in rural Butajira, over about ten years of follow-up, were from infectious causes. (1998-2012 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁷

Depression, heart disease and diabetes

The World Health Organization notes that physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol influence depression. It names the same factors as known risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases. These reviews pooled prospective studies, which follow people over time and record new cases.

• Pooling prospective cohort studies, people with depression or high depressive symptoms, mostly measured by questionnaire, were 1.30 times as likely to develop coronary heart disease as people without (a pooled relative risk). (pooled from cohort studies, published 2014, checked 10 Oct 2026) ³
• Pooling prospective cohort studies, people with depression or high depressive symptoms, mostly measured by questionnaire, were 1.30 times as likely to have a heart attack as people without (a pooled relative risk). (pooled from cohort studies, published 2014, checked 10 Oct 2026) ³
• Pooling prospective studies, people with depression or high depressive symptoms, mostly measured by questionnaire, were 1.60 times as likely to develop type two diabetes as people without (a pooled relative risk). (pooled from cohort studies, published 2008, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁸
• Pooling prospective studies, people with type two diabetes were 1.15 times as likely to develop depression or high depressive symptoms as people without diabetes (a pooled relative risk). (pooled from cohort studies, published 2008, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁸
• In Brazil in 2013, 22% of adults aged 18 and over who reported diabetes in the national health survey had mild to moderately severe depressive symptoms on a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis. (survey, at one point in time, 2013 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁹

Physical activity and depression

This review pooled cohort studies of adults that measured physical activity and later depression. Each percentage here is a relative drop in risk, not a share of people. It found an association. It cannot show that activity itself lowers the risk.

• Pooling cohort studies, adults doing half the recommended physical activity had 18% lower risk of depression (diagnosed or screened) than adults reporting no activity; an association, not proof of cause. (pooled from cohort studies, published 2022, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹⁰
• Pooling cohort studies, adults doing the recommended physical activity had 25% lower risk of depression (diagnosed or screened) than adults reporting no activity; an association, not proof of cause. (pooled from cohort studies, published 2022, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹⁰

Both kinds of condition at once

Physical and mental health conditions often occur in the same person. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risks for heart disease and diabetes. The United States figures count stays in community hospitals, and count tobacco use and a history of tobacco use as a substance use disorder. The World Health Organization says people with bipolar disorder are more likely to have a physical health condition, such as cardiovascular or respiratory disease.

• In the United States in 2014, 84.2% of adult hospital stays, ages 18 and over, mainly for a mental or substance use disorder also involved a physical health condition. (administrative records, 2014 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹¹
• In the United States in 2014, 42.4% of adult hospital stays, ages 18 and over, mainly for a physical health condition also involved a mental or substance use disorder, tobacco use included. (administrative records, 2014 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹¹
• In Australia, 60.8% of adults aged 18 to 64 using public mental health services for a psychotic disorder who gave a fasting blood sample had metabolic syndrome. (survey, 2010 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹²

Early death in national studies

These studies linked health records to death records in one country, or followed people in one district. England's report counts adults in contact with secondary mental health services, as a stand-in for severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychotic illnesses. In the Ethiopian study, it means schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or severe depression. England's report defines early death as death before the age of seventy-five. The Danish study used national registers and adjusted its ratios for age, sex and calendar time. Its ratios compare people with each disorder against people without it. Mood disorders had the lowest ratio and substance use disorders the highest. Females with an organic mental disorder lost the fewest years, and males with a substance use disorder the most.

• In England in 2018-2020, adults aged 18 to 74 in contact with secondary mental health services were around 5 times as likely to die before seventy-five as adults not in contact with these services. (administrative records, 2018-2020 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ²
• In England, 120,273 adults aged 18 to 74 in contact with secondary mental health services died across the three years 2018-2020. (administrative records, 2018-2020 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ²
• In Denmark, people younger than 95 with a diagnosed mental disorder died at a rate of 28.70 deaths per thousand person-years, in data from 1995-2015. (death registrations, 1995-2015 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹³
• In Denmark, the general population younger than 95 died at a rate of 12.95 deaths per thousand person-years, in data from 1995-2015. (death registrations, 1995-2015 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹³
• In Denmark, people younger than 95 with a mood disorder died at 1.92 times the rate of people without that diagnosis, in data from 1995-2015 (a mortality rate ratio). (death registrations, 1995-2015 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹³
• In Denmark, people younger than 95 with a substance use disorder died at 3.91 times the rate of people without that diagnosis, in data from 1995-2015 (a mortality rate ratio). (death registrations, 1995-2015 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹³
• In Denmark, females younger than 95 with an organic mental disorder lost an estimated 5.42 more years of life than the general population, in data from 1995-2015. (death registrations, 1995-2015 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹³
• In Denmark, males younger than 95 with a substance use disorder lost an estimated 14.84 more years of life than the general population, in data from 1995-2015. (death registrations, 1995-2015 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹³
• In South Korea, people aged 15 and over with schizophrenia in the National Health Insurance cohort died at 2.4 times the general population's rate in 2002-2013 (a standardised mortality ratio). (administrative records, 2002-2013 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹⁴
• In South Korea, people aged 15 and over with a mood disorder in the National Health Insurance cohort died at 1.4 times the general population's rate in 2002-2013 (a standardised mortality ratio). (administrative records, 2002-2013 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹⁴
• In Ethiopia, among people with severe mental illness screened at ages 15 to 49 in rural Butajira, those who died during follow-up died an average of 28.4 years before their expected age at death. (1998-2012 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁷

The global toll

The review of mortality studies above also estimated the share of deaths worldwide attributable to mental disorders. This is a modelled estimate, not a count of deaths.

• The authors of a review of mortality studies estimated that 14.3% of deaths worldwide are attributable to mental disorders. (modelled estimate, published 2015, year not stated, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• The authors of a review of mortality studies estimated that approximately 8 million deaths worldwide each year are attributable to mental disorders. (modelled estimate, published 2015, year not stated, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹

National figures side by side

These studies counted different groups, with different measures, in different years. Some count hospital stays, some count deaths and some count symptoms. Read each row with its label, and do not rank the countries.

How to read these figures

A relative risk, a mortality rate ratio and a standardised mortality ratio all compare two groups. A value of one means no difference. They are not shares of people. The physical activity section gives percentages. Those are relative drops in risk, not shares of people.

An association is not proof of cause. The World Health Organization says people with bipolar disorder are more likely to smoke and to have difficulty getting health care. Factors like these can affect physical health too.

Studies measure years of life lost in different ways. Some studies count years lost before a set age, and others compare with life expectancy. Compare a figure only with figures that use the same measure.

Many of these figures come from reviews that pooled studies from several countries. The country figures come from single studies, some from one district, and may not hold for a whole country or region.

Much of this early death comes from preventable physical conditions. The World Health Organization says treatment for people with severe mental disorders can save many lives. Its guidelines help health workers recognise and manage physical and mental health conditions together.

If you live with a mental health condition, regular physical health checks matter. If you live with a long-term physical illness and feel low or anxious, that matters too. A psychologist or counsellor can help, and our guide on how to find the right therapist explains what to look for. If you are in distress right now, see our helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide.

Cite this page: TherapyRoute. Physical and mental health statistics. https://www.therapyroute.com/article/the-link-between-physical-and-mental-health-2025-statistics-by-therapyroute. Last updated 13 October 2026.

References

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