The economic impact of mental health services and the need for cost reduction programs: Suggestions from middle-income countries

摘要

In recent years, there is a greater concern for estimating the economic burden of mental health problems and their impact on health systems and society as a whole. Recent studies, like the one presented by Leitch et al. (1) in the Ada Psychiatrica Scandinavica, highlight the need to generate the economic information to make decisions about more efficient management of resources allocated to mental health. Despite the high economic impact of expected epidemiological changes for mental health problems, the estimation of costs to health care is a topic underdeveloped on health systems. This is exemplified in the article by Leitch et al., (1) indicating that the net cost of dementia was ? 30 783 vs. ? 8267 in controls influenced by the severity of the disorder and the consequent demand for professional care and/or informal care.