New research commissioned by the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network shows the cost of mental ill health for England was a staggering £300 billion in 2022.
The study, conducted by the Centre for Mental Health, shows that the £300bn figure breaks down into:
- £110bn – economic costs such as sickness absence, ‘presenteeism’, staff turnover and unemployment
- £130bn – human costs such as reduced quality of life and premature mortality
- £60bn – health and care costs such as support from public services and informal care delivered by family and friends
This is almost double the health service’s £155bn budget for England in the same year.
However, the failure of the government to heed this massive problem can be seen from the breakdown of where the heaviest burdens fall. The report The economic and social costs of mental ill health explains that the largest share of the costs stemming from mental ill health is borne by people living with mental health difficulties and their families: a total of £175bn.
Full story in The Lowdown, 17 April 2024