Answering the WHO’s Urgent Call: One Billion People Living With Mental Health Conditions

On September 2, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a sobering update: more than one billion people worldwide are living with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. The impact is devastating, both in human terms and economically, costing the global economy an estimated US $1 trillion each year.

Read the full WHO release here: WHO News Release

This call comes just weeks before the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health in New York. The WHO reports, World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024, highlight persistent funding gaps, inequities in access, and the urgent need to transform systems of care worldwide.

Why This Matters to Us

Our vision is, and always has been, to support the mental health of one billion people — the very scale the World Health Organization now recognizes as the number of people living with mental health conditions.

Explore our vision: MentalHealth.com Vision Presentation (2025)

Our mission is to build the world’s most intelligent mental health technology, grounded in three pillars: reliable resources, accessible services, and nurturing communities. Together, these pillars form the foundation of a platform designed to meet the needs of anyone seeking mental health support.

We believe the path to sustainable global mental well-being goes beyond the one billion people already living with mental health conditions. It extends to all eight billion of us who benefit from ongoing, proactive, and preventive care.

Already empowering millions to discover self-understanding and connection, our platform advances the urgent priorities set forth by the World Health Organization — ensuring our work is not only impactful, but aligned with global health goals.

Aligning WHO’s Urgency With Our Purpose

The WHO has identified four urgent priorities: equitable financing, legal reforms, workforce investment, and person-centered care. Focus areas that align directly with our purpose: to educate, support, and empower people in their pursuit of well-being.

Through our platform, we:

• Connect people with a comprehensive mental health and wellness library, alongside a trusted professionals network.
• Deliver advanced mental health diagnostics paired with companion support services that guide people throughout their journey.
• Offer personalized wellness programs through a mental health portal now serving over 10,000+ beta accounts.

This alignment extends across our leadership team. Co-Founder and Venture Advisor Jeff Smith reflects:

As humanity struggles with disconnection and numbness, often seeking solace in substances and distractions, MentalHealth.com embarks on a crucial mission to support the well-being of billions worldwide. I’m proud to stand with this exceptional team committed to seeking truth and practicing compassion. This is the path to a venture with meaning.

Our Success So Far

The global demand for mental health services is extraordinary, and our progress to date reflects that urgency. Highlights include:

• 600%+ year-over-year growth
• 4+ million people reached annually through our platform
• 15+ active @mentalhealth social media channels with over 2 million followers
• A rapidly expanding professional network with thousands of new accounts each month

Key Milestones include:

• Relaunch of MentalHealth.com
• Acquisition of MentalHelp.net
• Launch of the Mental Health Network
• Acquisition of PsychGuides

From Crisis to Action

Mental health is not only a human rights imperative, it is also a global opportunity to strengthen communities. With mental health conditions projected by the WHO to cost $6 trillion globally by 2030, MentalHealth.com delivers a vital solution to meet this urgent challenge.

At MentalHealth.com, our guiding question is simple: “Does this bring people closer to deeper self-understanding and meaningful connection?” When the answer is yes, it shapes the products we design, the services we deliver, and the partnerships we pursue.

Clinical Affairs Director and Co-Founder Dr. Jesse Hanson, Ph.D. explains:

We will repurpose the very technology responsible for disempowerment, dependence, and illness into digital tools for empowerment, independence, and health.

From Artificial to Authentic Human Connection

At MentalHealth.com, we will continue to play our part. We are developing the leading mental health platform that not only understands people’s needs but also adapts to them in real time.

With advanced diagnostics, personalized wellness programs, and a trusted network of professionals, we make care more accessible, more meaningful, and more human.

The World Health Organization has made it clear: mental health services must urgently scale up to reach the more than one billion people living with mental health conditions.

This unprecedented call to action urges governments, providers, and communities to work together, transforming WHO’s urgent warning into a true turning point for global mental health.

To learn more about our vision: https://www.mentalhealth.com/vision

For interviews and further information:

MentalHealth.com, LLC
Helena Georgiou
1-800-834-8587
pr@mentalhealth.com