Mental Health Disorders Bring Huge Economic Cost: IMH Study

Direct medical care, productivity loss main drivers of $1.7b a year in costs here from six conditions

- Goh Yan Han

From depression to anxiety, mental health disorders take a toll not just on patients and their families, but also the economy.

A study by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) has identified for the first time the societal cost of six common mental health disorders here, estimated at about $1.7 billion a year.

It found that the healthcare system or society would be expected to incur $3,938.90 more in total costs a year for an individual associated with these conditions compared with someone without a disorder.

The costs refer to healthcare utilisation costs and productivity loss.

The six common mental health disorders identified in the study are major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.

The $1.7 billion figure was derived from a 13.9 per cent prevalence rate of common mental health conditions among adults here aged 18 and above – or about more than 433,000 people – said IMH yesterday.

These findings were from the second Singapore Mental Health Study initiated in 2016. It examined the prevalence of common mental health disorders here, their associated factors, treatment gap and the local adult population’s help-seeking behaviour.

The study was led by IMH in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Nanyang Technological University, and funded by the ministry and Temasek Foundation.

A total of 6,126 participants representing the population were interviewed in person between 2016 and 2018.

To establish the costs, the study focused on four components – direct medical care, indirect medical care, intermediate and long-term care services, and productivity loss.