Wales counts the cost of poor mental health

A new report has found that the cost of poor mental health in Wales is more than £7.2 billion a year.

The report, ‘Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Mental Illness: the economic case for investment in Wales’ is published by the All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network. It calls for greater investment in mental health promotion and argues that this will bring economic advantages.

The report highlights the wider health impacts of poor mental health, including the impact on life expectancy and the risk of developing chronic health problems, and also the increased use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis among youngsters with poor mental health.

The report concludes that while there is a good deal of policy focus on promoting mental health, there is still much to do.