For people to lead healthy and productive lives, good mental health is necessary. In the LAC region, about one in four individuals is expected to experience a mental health disorder during their lifetime. The COVID‑19 pandemic had a substantial impact on the mental health of the population, adding to existing pressures such as constant digital connectivity, social isolation, and the climate crisis. Women are disproportionally affected by anxiety and depression, while the average male suicide rate in LAC remains considerably higher than that for women (UNDP, 2025[1]).
The average depression and depressive symptoms prevalence rate in LAC33 was 3 753 per 100 000 population in 2024, considerably lower than the OECD prevalence of 4 130 per 100 000 population (Figure 3.21). Within the LAC region, depression prevalence was the highest in Chile, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba, with more than 4 200 cases per 100 000, and the lowest in Colombia, Nicaragua and Panama being lower than 2900 cases per 100 000 population. Although data for Colombia, Paraguay and Argentina were collected from health questionnaires sent to countries, substantial differences were found compared with IHME data, as all three reported a prevalence of fewer than 2 300 per 100 000 population. These differences could be explained by the fact that 2024 IHME estimates for depression prevalence are based on health survey data up to 2015 and scientific literature with data up to 2022.
People in LAC countries are now reporting higher levels of anxiety than before. In 2021, anxiety prevalence was 6 632.7 cases per 100 000 population, while in 2024 this rate increased to 7 173.7 cases per 100 000 in the LAC region based on IHME estimates. The average prevalence of anxiety and anxiety symptoms in LAC is higher than in OECD countries, where the prevalence stands at 6 659.4 cases per 100 000 population (Figure 3.22). Anxiety is not evenly distributed across LAC, and ranges from 4 820.0 cases per 100 000 in Panama to 11 376 per 100 000 in Brazil.
Regarding deaths by suicides, LAC25 experienced 7.1 deaths per 100 000 population on average in 2023, below the OECD37 average of 9.7 deaths per 100 000 population. Only Guyana, Uruguay, Cuba and Paraguay, had deaths rates by suicide above the OECD average, with 25.9, 21.2, 11.2 and 10.1 per 100 000 population respectively in 2023. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica had less than 2 deaths by suicide per 100 000 population in 2023 (Figure 3.23). Overall, self-inflicted mortality has increased in the LAC25 region by 11.7% since 2010, in contrast to the 16.7% decrease observed in OECD countries. Grenada and Paraguay experienced the largest increases in the region, at 451.5% and 135.9%, respectively. However, although Grenada appears as an outlier in terms of relative percentage change in mortality due to self-harm, in absolute terms the increase amounts to only 4 additional deaths per 100 000 between 2010 to 2023.
LAC countries could strengthen mental health outcomes by following the recommendations outlined by PAHO. These include increasing investment in community-based mental health services and promoting partnerships and collaboration among government ministries, agencies, academia and nongovernmental organisations in a “whole-of-government” approach. The Community Mental Health Centers (CSMC) model in Peru, which decentralizes psychiatric care to the primary level, is a good example. Additional interventions involve workplace programmes and suicide prevention strategies, and the incorporation of mental health and psychosocial support into emergency preparedness and response plans. Finally, improving data collection is highlighted as essential to support evidence‑based policymaking (PAHO, 2023[2]).
