About three quarters of this cost is due to lost productivity and the costs of unpaid carers, according to the findings from the Mental Health Foundation and London School of Economics, supported by Strathclyde University.
The report authors stressed this figure is likely an underestimate, as it does not account for reduced work performance due to mental illness, costs to criminal justice and housing systems linked to poor mental health, or costs linked to addiction, self-harm or suicide.
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The Mental Health Foundation urged the Scottish Government to “revolutionise” its approach to mental health and increase investment with a higher focus on a prevention rather than treatment approach.
Picture: John Devlin
Research shows the potential public health and economic benefit of programs which allow people to live well, the charity said, for example by addressing perinatal depression, bullying and social isolation in older people.
Other areas highlighted for potential improvement were parenting programmes, psychological and psychosocial support for those with identified needs, and building supportive and inclusive workplaces.
A review of workplace interventions found savings of £5 for every £1 invested in supporting mental health.
Investing in parenting programs could offer long-term returns of up to £16 for every £1 spent, the report found.
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Lee Knifton, Director of the Mental Health Foundation in Scotland, said: “Our report reveals the opportunity we have to revolutionize our approach to mental health in Scotland. It’s time to increase investment in population-level prevention of mental health problems.”
He added: “We can’t only treat our way out of the mental health crisis, which is worsening due to the pandemic, and we cannot afford the spiraling costs to both people’s wellbeing and our economy.
“We urge the Scottish Government to pay attention to what the evidence is telling us and commit to prioritising prevention in mental health. A prevention-first approach will not only help break down the barriers to good mental health but empower people to thrive at every stage of their lives and boost our economy in the long run.”
Authors said the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the situation to deteriorate.
Lead author of the report, David McDaid, Associate Professional Research Fellow in Health Policy and Health Economics at London School of Economics, said: “Our estimate of the economic impacts of mental health conditions, much of which is felt well beyond the health and social care sector, is a conservative estimate.
“What is clear is that there is a sound economic case for investing in effective preventive measures, particularly at a time when population mental health may be especially vulnerable because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This requires further sustained and coordinated actions not only within the health and social care sector, but across the whole of government.”
Costs covered by the analysis included health and social care, informal care, educational support and productivity costs.
Those in the 15-49 age group accounted for 56 per cent of the costs.
The figure across the UK was £118 billion, accounting to five per cent of GDP.
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source https://www.bisayanews.com/2022/03/03/mental-health-problems-cost-scotlands-economy-9-billion-a-year-report-finds/
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