Research, data and specialists opinion suggest an estimated economic costs between $1 trillion and $8.5 trillion globally due to mental health challenges. And this in normal times, without taking in consideration the big recent rise in unmanaged stress, fear, anxiety, depression, ptsd and other mental health related challenges (growth during the covid-19 pandemic).
Estimated economic losses due to mental, neurological and substance use disorders vary between $1 and $8.5 trillion globally, a figure which is projected to nearly double by 2030.
“For every US$ 1 put into scaled up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return of US$ 4 in improved health and productivity.”
The post-2020 losses can be much higher in the context of Covid-19 and the scientific studie and estimations suggesting the big increase of the mental, neurological and substance use disorders.
Studies:
Mental, neurological and substance use disorders are estimated to contribute to economic output losses of $2.5-8.5 trillion globally, a figure which is projected to nearly double by 2030.
Source: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/mental-health
“For every US$ 1 put into scaled up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return of US$ 4 in improved health and productivity.”
” Depression and anxiety have a significant economic impact; the estimated cost to the global economy is US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.”
Source: World Health Organization, 2019
Source: https://www.who.int/mental_health/in_the_workplace/en/
Source: https://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/en/
Supporting workers with mental health services is not only an ethical obligation for employers, it’s also a bottom-line issue. More than 60% of workers say their mental health affects their productivity, according to a survey by Mind Share Partners, a nonprofit that works with companies to improve mental health resources. In 2019 the World Health Organization estimated that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Given the emotional the toll of the pandemic, that price will likely be much higher this year.
Source: https://hbr.org/2019/10/research-people-want-their-employers-to-talk-about-mental-health
Source: https://www.mindsharepartners.org/mentalhealthatworkreport
Approximately 6-7% of full-time U.S. workers experienced major depression (MDD) within the past year.
The total economic burden of MDD is now estimated to be $210.5 billion per year.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25742202
According to the findings, which are published in Harvard Business Review, 60% of people have experienced symptoms of mental health issues in the past year.
Further, half of millennial (defined in this survey as 23-38 years old) and 75% of Gen-Zer (18-22 years old) respondents have left a job, both voluntarily and involuntarily, partially due to mental health reasons. (To put that in perspective, only 20% of the total survey respondents reported doing the same.) For baby boomers (55-73 years old), the number was the lowest, with less than 10% leaving a job for mental health-related reasons.
Date: 2019
Source: https://hbr.org/2019/10/research-people-want-their-employers-to-talk-about-mental-health
Source: https://www.mindsharepartners.org/mentalhealthatworkreport
Other data and statistics:
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-economic-and-social-costs