Scientists sound the alarm over the rise in mental disorders among new generations

People born in recent decades are facing psychotic disorders - including schizophrenia - more frequently and at a younger age than previous generations. This conclusion was reached by Canadian scientists who analyzed data from more than 12 million residents of the province of Ontario. The study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).

The sample included 12.2 million people born between 1960 and 2009. During the observation period, psychotic disorders were diagnosed in 152,587 of them. Researchers identified a pronounced "generation effect": starting with people born in the 1980s, the frequency of new diagnoses began to steadily increase.

The most significant changes were recorded among adolescents and young adults. In the age group from 14 to 20 years, the number of new cases of psychosis increased by 60% - from 62.5 to 99.7 per 100 thousand people in the period from 1997 to 2023. According to the authors' calculations, people born in 2000-2004 had approximately 70% higher risk of first encountering a psychotic disorder than those born in 1975-1979. By age 30, the total number of diagnosed psychoses in the 1990-1994 generation was 37.5% higher than in the mid-1970s generation.

The increase in indicators was observed in both men and women, although men remained in the higher risk group throughout the entire period. Particularly pronounced differences were found for so-called non-affective psychoses - conditions not directly related to mood disorders, including schizophrenia. Such diagnoses were more often given to men, residents of low-income areas, long-term residents of Canada, as well as people with a history of other mental disorders and problems with psychoactive substance use.

According to the study's lead author Daniel Myran, the increase in the number of diagnoses is seriously alarming. Psychotic disorders are associated with high morbidity, risk of premature death, and require significant medical and social resources. However, there is no clear explanation for what is happening yet.

The authors emphasize that the results of the Canadian study are consistent with recent data from Denmark and Australia, where an increase in schizophrenia diagnosis among young generations has also been recorded. They call for further research to understand the causes of what is happening and develop prevention and early support measures.