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CEP report

How mental illness loses out in the NHS a report by the Centre for Economic Performance's Mental Health Policy Group


Mental illness accounts for a massive share of the total burden of disease. Even when we include the burden of premature death mental illness accounts for 23% of the total burden of disease. Yet, despite the existence of cost-effective treatments, it receives only 13% of NHS health expenditure. The under-treatment of people with crippling mental illnesses is the most glaring case of health inequality in our country. The need for a rethink is urgent. At present mental health care is, if anything, being cut. It should be expanded. This is a matter of fairness, to remedy a gross inequality, and it is a matter of simple economics – the net cost to the NHS would be very small. When everyone praises early intervention, it is particularly shocking that the sharpest cuts today are those affecting children.


Richard Layard

18 June 2012     Paper Number CEPSP26

Download PDF - How mental illness loses out in the NHS a report by the Centre for Economic Performance's Mental Health Policy Group

This CEP report is published under the centre's Community Wellbeing programme.

This publication comes under the following theme: Mental health