Who Bears the High Costs of Mental Health Problems in the Labour Force?

Abstract

The prevalence of mental conditions is high and tends to increase in the population and for young people, in particular, which indicates that the problem of mental health in the workforce will be growing at a fast pace. The cost generated by the health issues of the economically active, which is already alarmingly immense, will increase in the long term. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the complex relationship between mental health and work as well as to assess the detrimental socioeconomic consequences of mental disorders in the workforce to various sets of market participants. The results indicate that (1) workers with mental conditions impair productivity and the work environment impacts mental health; (2) mental health problems generate enormous costs for the economy and society, employers and employees; (3) the indirect burden of mental disorders vastly outweighs the direct cost – total cost of mental conditions to the global economy will reach US$ 6 trillion by 2030, i.e. more than cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease combined. It seems evident that addressing the mental health of the labour force in the workplace and, broader, in society is essential for improving productivity and reducing the economic burden associated with mental health disorders.