Mental ill health is the largest single cause of disability in the UK, contributing almost 23% of the overall burden of disease compared to about 16% each for cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The economic and social costs of mental health problems in England are estimated at around £105 billion each year.
This report addresses the question of whether investment in the prevention of mental health needs and the promotion of mental wellbeing might represent a good use of available resources.
Download Mental health promotion and mental illness prevention: The economic case
The report investigate the cost effectiveness of a range of interventions including:
- Health visiting and reducing postnatal depression
- Parenting interventions for children with persistent conduct disorders
- School based social and emotional learning programmes to prevent conduct problems in childhood
- School based interventions to reduce bullying
- Early detection for psychosis
- Early intervention for psychosis
- Screening and brief intervention in primary care for alcohol misuse
- Workplace screening for depression and anxiety disorders
- Promoting wellbeing in the workplace
- Debt and mental health
- Population level suicide awareness training and intervention
- Bridge safety measures for suicide prevention
- Collaborative care for depression in individuals with Type II diabetes
- Tackling medically unexplained symptoms
- Befriending of older adults