The Socio-economic Impact of Untreated Mental Illness

Part 1 in a new series "Why GCC Governments should invest more in Mental Health"

In a new thought leadership series, we build upon our previous report released in conjunction with the World Government Summit on “Making mental wellbeing a national priority”, and look at why governments should invest more in mental health.

Within the GCC, approximately 15% of the population are believed to suffer from mental disorders in any given year¹. Common mental disorders include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, dementia and substance abuse (among others).

Even before the pandemic, WHO reported that anxiety and depression alone afflicted 284 million and 264 million people respectively⁴. Yet the scale of the problem is likely to be larger as many never seek help from a qualified professional. In Saudi Arabia, for example, 80% with severe mental disorders do not seek treatment⁵.

Every year, 12 billion productive days are lost due to depression and anxiety, costing the global economy $1trillion in lost productivity⁶. Yet, less than 2% of the global health budget is spent on mental health⁷. In the GCC, mental health care systems still suffer from structural challenges, including the shortage of mental health professionals.

Additionally, studies have found that for every $1 invested in scaled-up treatment for depression and anxiety, there is a $4 return in improved health and productivity⁸.

Clearly, there is a strong economic case for governments and businesses alike to invest more in increasing access to mental health care for citizens in the GCC:

$ tn per year in lost productivity globally⁹

% only of health budgets spent on mental health¹⁰

: return on investment¹¹

$ bn per year in lost productivity in GCC

psychiatrists per 100,000 population across the GCC countries¹²

The Global Burden of Disease¹³ study estimates that mental disorders are just as common in the GCC as they are worldwide, yet tend to be underreported due to poor awareness, limited help seeking support, shortage in mental health care professionals and limitations in appropriate and equitable financing.

% of people in high-income countries suffer from a mental illness¹⁴

% of people who experience mental health difficulties do not seek professional help¹⁵

Estimated prevalence of mental disorders (IHME, 2019)

While there is a growing interest in supporting mental health in the GCC, more investment is needed to comprehensively and systematically eradicate the barriers to mental health.

In this report – the first in our series on “Why GCC Governments should invest more in Mental Health” - we examine the socio-economic case for investing in mental health care amidst the rise in the burden of mental illness globally and across the GCC. By drawing on the best evidence globally and regionally, we provide useful insights for policy and decision-makers on the value of improving access to mental health care.

Here we look at:

What is the burden of mental illness in the GCC?
What are the barriers to mental healthcare in the GCC?
What is the socio-economic impact of mental illness?
Which interventions present good value for money?
What can governments do to support mental health?

The economic impacts make a clear case for intervention and investment, and further support the social duty of governments to aim to improve the overall level of mental health in their populations and support sufferers of mental illness. As such, we propose six practical and cost-effective steps that governments across the GCC can take to better serve their citizens, by providing increased and more efficient access to improved mental health services and resources. Given the scale of change and transformation across our region, we are in a unique position to raise the bar and become global innovators and leaders in this field through smarter policymaking and investment.