The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a dire toll on mental health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, indicating that cases of anxiety and depression had swelled by over 25 per cent globally.

In a fresh scientific brief, the WHO also found that the Covid-19 crisis had in many cases significantly impeded access to mental health services and raised concerns about increases in suicidal behaviour, AFP reports.

The brief, which was based on an umbrella review of a vast number of studies, determined that the world saw a 27.6pc increase in cases of major depressive disorder in 2020 alone.

During the first year of the pandemic, there was also a 25.6pc hike in cases of anxiety disorders worldwide, it found.