A multinational market research company has released its 2024 Health Service Report, outlining the most prominent health issue, and it isn’t cancer.
Ipsos Health Service Report has ranked mental health as the biggest health issue across 31 countries, including the United States.
In comparison, the 2018 report showed mental health ranked third. Bringing the data into 2024 rankings, mental health takes first, and stress holds third place. Cancer is second, obesity ranked fourth, followed by drug abuse.
Between 2021 and 2022, mental health surpassed cancer as the top health concern and has remained so since.
Ipsos explains that the shift is partly due to COVID-19: “While the Covid-19 virus is a respiratory disease, perhaps the pandemic’s biggest long-term effect on public health will be on mental health,” the report reads.
70% of the survey participants identified the Coronavirus as the primary health issue confronting the nation in 2021.
“For now, Covid-19 feels like it is in the past and it ranks tenth out 13 health problems, behind smoking, diabetes, heart disease, and alcohol abuse,” reads the report.
The report also revealed some curious takeaways, such as Gen Z women (born between 1997 – 2012, currently aged 12-27) expressed the highest level of worry about mental health compared to other demographic groups, and individuals are more adept at assessing their risk of obesity than their risk of cancer.
Outside of the 31-country average and specific to the United States, here are some additional takeaways:
- 71% of Americans agree that “many people in my country cannot afford good healthcare.
- 55% of Americans believe the “cost of accessing treatment” is the biggest problem facing the U.S. healthcare system.
- 54% of Americans are concerned that their personal data will be made available to third parties without their consent.
- 52% of Americans believe “the healthcare system in my country is overstretched.
Falling in line with the Ipsos data, The Dallas Express reported that the U.S. Surgeon General newly released a “Parents Under Pressure” Advisory on parents’ mental health and well-being, which stated that parents and caregivers are struggling with their mental health.