Mental illness costs England £300 billion a year, which is equivalent to almost double the NHS budget, according to research.
Researchers from the Center for Mental Health think tank analyzed the economic, health and healthcare impacts of mental health problems, as well as the human costs of reduced quality of life and wellbeing.
The reportcommissioned by the NHS Confederation’s mental health network, calculated that mental illness will cost £130 billion in human costs, £110 billion in economic costs and £60 billion in health and care costs by 2022.
The £300 billion cost in 2022 is equivalent to almost double the entire £153 billion budget of the NHS in England in the same year and is “economically a similar impact to a pandemic every year”, the report concludes.
The biggest financial impact, £175 billion, will hit people with mental health problems and their families, with the public sector bearing £25 billion and businesses £101 billion.
For the first time, the report also assessed some of the broader financial consequences of mental illness, such as presenteeism, employee turnover and lost tax revenue due to economic inactivity.
The authors calculate that presenteeism – where someone is less productive at work due to reduced cognitive function and emotional distress caused by their mental health – costs £41.8 billion, while employee turnover due to mental illness costs £43.1 billion costs and lost tax revenue £43.1 billion. 5.7 billion.
The report concludes that even the £300 billion figure is likely to be a significant underestimate. If other impacts of mental health problems were also included, such as the £10 billion to £16 billion cost of physical and mental health comorbidities and the £2.1 billion cost of mental health problems in prisons, the total would be be higher.
The numbers underscore the scale of the mental health crisis. Referrals to NHS mental health services in England increased by 44% between 2016 and 2017 and from 4.4 million to 6.4 million in 2021-2022, while the number of people in contact with mental health services in during the same period it increased from 3.6 million to 4.5 million. the National Audit Office calculated.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, mental health alone is responsible 9% of NHS spending despite the fact that it accounts for 23% of the “disease burden”.
In 2002, the estimated cost of mental health care in England was £76.3 billion. Further analysis of the figures suggests that even if we take inflation into account and if we remove any costs from the 2022 figures that are not included in the 2002 figures, the cost of mental illness in England has increased by 40% over the past twenty years have risen.
Andy Bell, the chief executive of the Center for Mental Health, said ministers “cannot afford to ignore the devastating impact of mental health problems”, adding: “A pound sign can never fully reflect the suffering caused by mental health problems.” health issues.
“Rising inequality, austerity and cuts to early support have contributed to a country with poorer mental health overall, and have led to more people reaching crisis point before receiving support.”
The director of the NHS Confederation’s mental health network, Sean Duggan, echoed ministers’ call for action, saying: “The false economics of not investing in mental health is making the country poorer and causing unspoken fear in so many people and their loved ones. . It is critical that we invest now in effective interventions that bring us closer to a mentally healthier nation for all.”
Wes Streeting, the shadow health minister, said: “The Conservatives’ failure to help people out of lockdown, particularly young people who have felt the impact worse than most, has caused huge problems for our society, economy and public finances . .”
Brian Dow, deputy director of Rethink Mental Illness, called the figures on mental health problems “one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century”.
The publication of the report came as a coalition of leading health organizations signed a joint letter urging Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, to take “urgent steps” to protect the mental health and wellbeing of health and care staff, while specialized hubs “continue to close”.
Earmarked funding for NHS mental health and wellbeing centers was cut a year ago, the organizations said, and as a result staff needing support are facing a ‘postcode lottery’ of care. Of the original 40 hubs, 18 have closed since March 2023, they said.
A government spokesperson said: “We have increased spending on mental health by £4.7 billion since 2018/19 to support even more people.
“We are also continuing to roll out mental health support teams in schools and colleges, investing £8 million in 24 early support centers and expanding talk therapy services to help people get help with their mental health early on.”
