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The number of mental illnesses is steadily increasing, with spouses often having the same psychiatric diagnoses.
According to the WHO, about 1 billion people worldwide live with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and other dysfunctions. Their prevalence does not depend on age or income level.
According to two reports published by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 1 billion people worldwide with mental health disorders (14% of the population). Such disorders are more common in women. Mental disorders are the second most common cause of long-term disability. Their prevalence does not depend on age or income level.
In addition, approximately 400 million people (7% of people over the age of 15) were diagnosed with alcohol use disorders in 2019. In 2022, 64 million people used psychoactive substances.
Experts identified anxiety and depression as the most common mental disorders. In total, two-thirds of patients with mental disorders suffer from these disorders. Over the past ten years, the number of people with mental disorders has grown faster than the global population. The fastest growth has been among people aged 20-29.
Experts identified suicide as one of the most tragic outcomes of such disorders, with 727,000 people dying from it in 2021 alone. It is the leading cause of death among young people in all countries, regardless of income level. If the current trend continues, the suicide rate will decrease by only 12% by 2030, although the target is 30%.
Interestingly, a large international study covering more than six million married couples in Taiwan, Denmark, and Sweden revealed a surprising pattern: partners in long-term relationships are more likely to have the same psychiatric diagnoses.
This phenomenon, which scientists call spousal correlation, has been found to be statistically significant for a number of disorders.
The list includes schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), substance use disorders, and anorexia nervosa.
The results showed that such similarities in couples are observed much more often than could be explained by mere chance. As the authors of the study note, despite differences in the cultures and healthcare systems of the three countries, the results were statistically similar, indicating the universality of this phenomenon.
Scientists believe that three main factors play a role here. First, people tend to consciously or unconsciously choose partners who are similar to themselves. Second, various social constraints influence the choice of a partner. Third, living together for a long time in the same environment can bring partners closer together, including in terms of health.
The discovery has important implications for understanding the nature of mental disorders. The study also showed that if both parents have the same diagnosis, it increases the risk of it showing up in their kids. This calls into question the common assumption in genetic research that marriage patterns are random.
Scientists emphasize that to more accurately assess genetic risks, we need to consider the non-random nature of how couples form
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