Abstract
BackgroundMental disorders represent a major contributor to disease burden worldwide. We sought to quantify the national economic burden of mental disorders in China.MethodsWe used a prevalence-based, bottom-up approach to estimate the economic costs of mental disorders in 2005–2013 in China. Prevalence data were derived from a national survey. Cost data were derived from the electronic health records of two psychiatric hospitals that consisted of 25,289 outpatients (10 %) and inpatients (90 %) who were diagnosed with a mental disorder. Cost items included direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and indirect costs.ResultsThe total annual costs of mental disorders in China increased from $1,094.8 in 2005 to $3,665.4 in 2013 for individual patients, and from $21.0 billion to $88.8 billion for the whole society. The total costs of mental disorders in 2013 accounted for more than 15 % of the total health expenditure in China, and 1.1 % of China’s gross domestic product. If the needs of the professional care for all patients with mental illnesses were fully met, the potential economic costs would have been almost five times higher than the actual estimated costs.ConclusionsMental disorders imposed a huge economic burden on individuals and the society in China. A nation-wide strategic action plan for preventing mental disorders and promoting mental health and well-being is in urgent need to reduce the individual and societal costs of mental illnesses.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0839-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Mental disorders represent a major contributor to disease burden worldwide
The updated World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2010 showed that ~12 % of global burden of diseases was attributable to mental disorders, which would reach ~15 % by 2020; much of the increased burden would occur in low- and middle-income
We found that indirect cost due to disability was substantial, which indicates that mental illnesses are more debilitating than certain chronic somatic diseases such as angina, arthritis, and diabetes [26]
Summary
Mental disorders represent a major contributor to disease burden worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) report (2007) estimated that worldwide 450 million people suffered from mental or behavioural disorders, placing mental disorders one of the leading causes of ill-health and disability [1]. The global burden of mental disorders increased by 37 % from 1990 to 2010 [2]. The updated WHO report in 2010 showed that ~12 % of global burden of diseases was attributable to mental disorders, which would reach ~15 % by 2020; much of the increased burden would occur in low- and middle-income. The New Healthcare Reform Plan 2009, which sought to achieve universal health care with a broad coverage of basic health insurance, incorporated major mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, paranoid psychosis, and bipolar affective disorders) into the public health care scheme
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