Ten Billion Reasons To Invest In Youth Mental Health
A key report* released today indicates the dramatic cost to the community of mental illness in Australia’s youth. These new findings indicate that in 2009, the financial cost of mental illness in people aged 12-25 was $10.6 billion, with the majority due to lost productivity due to lower employment, absenteeism and premature death. This equates to $10,544 per annum per young Australian with a mental health disorder.
Launching the report today, headspace CEO Chris Tanti emphasised its significance, “This report is the first to estimate the costs of youth mental health disorders in Australia. Until now there has been a paucity of information regarding the economic burden of mental illness in this age group."
“Mental ill health impacts on young people’s ability to study, work, contribute to community, live independently and maintain relationships. All these things contribute directly or indirectly to the economy and the prosperity of this nation,” said Mr Tanti.
Mental health is a leading area of concern to young Australians (Mission Australia 2009) because it is the key health issue faced by young people. Mental health disorders account for over 50% of the total disease burden in Australian youth, led by depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia . Almost 24% of Australians aged 12-25 years experience a mental disorder in any year. This equates to 478,000 males and 526,000 females.
“Australia faces substantial costs arising from mental illness in young people. Since 75% of mental health disorders emerge before the age of 25 , preventative or early interventions targeted to young people have the capacity to generate greater personal, social and economic benefits than intervention at any other time in the lifespan,” said headspace Centre of Excellence Coordinator, Associate Professor Rosemary Purcell, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Dr. Rosemary Purcell.
Early, effective intervention, targeting young people aged 12 – 25 years should be a community and Government priority.
This report is the clearest evidence yet of the value of this approach, and gives us more than ten billion reasons to invest in youth mental health.
*The economic impact of youth mental illness and the cost effectiveness of early intervention,
Access Economics 2009
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