About 16.4% of people in Bulgaria, or roughly one in six, have a mental disorder, the Ministry of Health said. It released the figures for World Mental Health Day, which is marked today.

Mental disorders are the second biggest cause of years lived with disability in Bulgaria. Every year on 10 October the country joins the observance, and the ministry posts the data on its website.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is running its 2026 campaign under the slogan "The Voice of Lived Experience: Real Voices, Real Change". The WHO regards the knowledge of people with lived experience of mental health problems as a form of expertise and puts it at the centre of the campaign. It wants them to take a full part in decisions, planning and the delivery of services.

The campaign focuses on deinstitutionalisation and on giving those affected a bigger say in decisions that touch their lives. Deinstitutionalisation means a shift from long-term care in psychiatric institutions to community services built around the person. This needs good services that people can reach, and support that protects dignity, choice and ties with family and loved ones. The WHO calls on people with lived experience to be equal partners from the start, when decisions and services are designed, carried out and assessed.

The WHO says more than 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental disorder, and depression and anxiety are among the most common. Only 9% of countries have fully completed deinstitutionalisation, while 53% are still at an early stage. In 49% of recorded cases, admissions to psychiatric hospitals are involuntary, and 23% of hospital stays last more than a year.

According to the WHO study "Mental Health Atlas 2024", which the ministry cites, involving people with lived experience is still not standard practice. Of the countries that responded, 37% include primary care health workers in training. And 45% report working with people with lived experience and with advocacy groups for families or carers. This happens in planning, delivering or monitoring services for mental health promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Some 59% say their laws in this area were drawn up after consulting people with lived experience. Among countries with a mental health policy or plan, 80% report such consultations when they drew it up.

The ministry says the focus remains on the person, their health, dignity and rights, and their chance to take an active part in decisions that affect them.

The ministry will keep working on prevention and early support, better access to good health services, the protection of human rights and stronger cooperation between sectors.