The Economic Case for Good Mental Health
Access the Prague Agreement and download 'The Economic Case for Good Mental Health; why prevention and treatment matter'.
The Prague Agreement
The Prague Agreement is a Royal College of Psychiatrists-led initiative which outlines the devastating impact mental illness has on the economic growth of countries and makes the case for urgent global investment to address this.
Mental illnesses are predominantly conditions of the youth. Once a person has survived the infectious diseases of childhood, the most likely illness they will suffer from as a young person is a mental illness.
Without early intervention and timely access to evidence-based treatments, young people with poor mental health become adults with chronic, relapsing mental illnesses who are unable to achieve their potential – including being unable to complete education and being unable to work. Young adults are the most productive members of society and drive economic growth.
For any country to maximise its potential to prosper, it must actively focus resources to reduce population-level prevalence of mental illness, while improving care for those living with poor mental health.
Global financiers should make their investments contingent on a country’s development of a national cross-Government mental health strategy with an accompanying implementation plan.
The global support required to build and implement such plans already exists, as outlined in the Prague Agreement.
The Economic Case for Good Mental Health
Mental ill-health is impacting the prosperity of the UK, and this is mirrored in countries around the world.
Globally, the economic cost of mental ill-health - due in large part to associated loss of workforce and reduced productivity is estimated to be US $5 trillion.
The College has published 'The Economic Case for Good Mental Health'.