Cost of Mental Illness Exceeds One Billion Pounds per year in England
11/10
The cost of mental ill health in England is now £105.2 billion a year, according to an update 3rd October 2010 by Centre for Mental Health.
The figure includes the costs of health and social care for people with mental health problems, lost output in the economy, for example from sickness absence and unemployment, and the human costs of reduced quality of life.
The new calculation is an update of the £77.4 billion cost of mental ill health calculated by the Centre in 2003. The figure takes into account inflation since 2003 and the rising cost of health and social care.
Centre for Mental Health joint chief executive Professor Bob Grove said: "Mental ill health carries a heavy cost, especially for those who experience mental health problems and their families. It costs businesses more than £1,000 for every person they employ and has an impact on spending in every government department.
"Mental ill health is a fact of life. Every day, one in six of us experiences mental ill health, while one in 100 has a severe mental illness. It is vital that government, public services, businesses and communities respond well to mental ill health and do their bit to prevent both distress and discrimination".