Modeled estimates of the health outcomes and economic value of improving the social determinants of mental health

Abstract

The prevalence and burden of mental disorders have worsened despite increased community awareness. Enhanced access to treatments alone is unlikely to deliver improvements in population mental health, so more attention needs to be paid to social and environmental influences. Here we estimate the health benefits and economic value of improving the social determinants of mental health within Brisbane South, a diverse population of 1.2 million people, in Australia. The incremental net monetary benefit (combining costs and monetized health outcomes) derived from 5% improvements in the average yearly change of social cohesion, childhood difficulties, substance misuse and unemployment over 11 years from 2024 to 2034 was projected to be AUD$146.64 million, AUD$234.50 million, AUD$281.67 million and AUD$100.43 million, respectively. Quality-adjusted life years, suicide deaths, emergency department presentations and self-harm hospitalizations were also improved. This study demonstrates the health and economic value of investing in the social determinants of mental health.