The economic case for investing in the prevention of mental health conditions in the UK

This report provides an overview of the economic case for the prevention of mental health conditions.

Our report indicates that there are substantial costs associated with mental health conditions, most of which do not fall on health care systems. Investment in preventing mental health conditions therefore has the potential to be highly cost-effective; the challenge is to facilitate more investment in prevention across the UK, within and beyond public health and health care systems. These arguments for investing in measures to protect and support mental health may take on even more significance at a time when there may be long term effects of the COVID pandemic, with implications for the public policy response on population mental health.

It is important not only to continue to develop national and local level mental health strategies that take a cross-departmental, integrated approach to preventing mental health problems and promoting good mental health, but also to monitor how well these strategies are being translated into actions on the ground, with measurable impact. There is therefore a need to better map out the current level of investment in mental health prevention across the UK, at both national and local levels.