EVERY 43 seconds, somewhere in the world, a person takes their own life. On this World Mental Health Day, the need to prioritise mental health could not be clearer. Mental distress is now among the most pressing global health burdens. The WHO estimates that more than a billion people live with mental disorders. Suicide — still the most shocking indicator — claims some 700,000 lives a year. But rising anxiety, workplace burnout, adolescent depression and substance abuse are spreading faster than most governments can respond.

In East Asia, the human toll is acute. South Korea, despite its prosperity, has the highest suicide rate in the OECD — about 26 deaths per 100,000 people, more than double the organisation’s average. Relentless academic competition and punishing office hours fuel these numbers. China, too, is facing pushback against its notorious ‘996’ culture — working from nine in the morning to nine at night, six days a week. Protests on social media and viral cases of employee breakdowns have forced some firms to roll back excessive overtime. Yet structural incentives still reward overwork, and mental health services remain scarce. That combination — stigma, pressure, and inadequate care — has created what researchers call a silent epidemic. Elsewhere, the picture is hardly brighter. In the West, depression and anxiety spiked during the pandemic and show little sign of receding. America’s opioid crisis, now in its second decade, has blurred the line between substance abuse and mental illness. In parts of Africa, prolonged conflict and displacement have produced entire generations with post-traumatic stress yet almost no psychiatric support. The global economic cost of untreated mental illness is estimated in the trillions of dollars, through lost productivity, health spending and diminished human capital.

Pakistan, meanwhile, drifts in the same current but without a raft. Studies suggest that a third of the population suffers from common mental disorders, while suicide rates have risen to nearly 10 per 100,000. Until 2022, attempted suicide was an actual crime, discouraging disclosure. Stigma remains entrenched; admitting to depression risks ridicule, even ostracism. Those who do seek care find that private therapists charge exorbitant fees, while public provision is skeletal, especially outside cities. The notion of proactively caring for one’s mental health scarcely exists. What might help? Mainstreaming mental health into primary care, so family doctors can detect and refer patients rather than ignoring symptoms. Investment in affordable psychotherapy, through community counsellors, subsidised clinics or digital platforms. Workplace reform, to enforce limits on hours and make employers accountable for well-being. And awareness campaigns to chip away at stigma. Ignoring mental health is costly; societies that do so pay in lives and lost output. The lesson from Seoul to Shanghai to Islamabad is the same: mental well-being must never be an afterthought. It is the first order of business.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2025