Economics of mental health: Part II- Investing in and planning for mental health services - the evidence

ABSTRACT

Background: The economic costs and proportion of disease burden attributable to mental, emotional and behavioural disorders (MEBs) is enormous. This emphasizes on the need for treating the MEBs. Choosing the most cost effective intervention is the key aspect in planning mental health services. Objective: The aim of the present article is to review the studies on cost-effective interventions for MEBs. Methodology: A review of various studies on the above subject was done using Google Scholar and PubMed. Results: Most of these studies are from developed countries. Many of them are conducted by World Health Organization (WHO). There is paucity of data on cost-effectiveness of interventions in the developing world. There are cost-effective interventions available for most of the MEBs. Conclusions: There are cost-effective interventions for MEBs. The available cost-effective strategies need to be incorporated with necessary modifications to tailor to the local needs. Proper planning is crucial for successful approach to mental health. Prevention is the most cost-effective strategy