The study is a secondary analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study, a publicly available repository of comprehensive global health estimates maintained by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). The authors analyzed prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years. Trends were assessed using average annual percent change, while a Bayesian age-period-cohort model projected future prevalence. Correlations with the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) were also examined.
In 2021, the rates per 100,000 young people in Asia were 13,854 (95 % UI, 12,243–15,607) for mental disorders, 1211 (95 % UI, 960–1501) for substance use disorders, and 54 (95 % UI, 42–70) for self-harm. Mental disorder prevalence was higher in males aged 15–19 and females aged 20–24. Countries with the highest burden included the Republic of Korea, Japan, and India. SDI showed a significant positive correlation with substance use disorder prevalence. Projections to 2035 indicate an increase in mental disorders, a decrease in self-harm, and an overall decrease in substance use, although rates are expected to rise among females.
