Good mental health contributes to people’s well‑being, social inclusion and economic participation. Yet mental ill health affects more than one in five people across OECD and EU countries, making it one of the most significant public health and economic challenges today. Anxiety and depressive disorders account for most cases, particularly affecting young people, women and individuals with lower socio‑economic status. Recent shocks such as the COVID‑19 pandemic, geopolitical instability, economic crises and increasing climate‑related stressors have intensified existing vulnerabilities and contributed to record levels of mental distress.
The consequences for health systems, economies and societies are substantial. Across the EU, major depressive disorders, generalised anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorders together are projected to reduce healthy life expectancy by 2.5 years during 2025-2050, and to account for health system costs equivalent to around 6% of total health expenditure. Mental ill health also reduces workforce participation and productivity, leading to projections of an estimated annual GDP loss of 1.7% over the period.
Focusing on targeted and scalable interventions in primary healthcare, schools and workplaces helps to narrow the significant gap in receiving support for mental ill health. Interventions such as psychological and behavioural therapies, mental health literacy, and digital support tools are estimated to improve quality of life, reduce healthcare expenditure and enhance productivity. Such interventions are cost‑effective or even cost‑saving, and several generate benefits that exceed the costs of implementation. However, effective interventions are necessary but not sufficient to fully address the challenges posed by mental ill health. Meaningful progress will require coverage of interventions to be expanded significantly by implementing best practices, consisting of evidence‑based actions delivered at scale and supported by the governance, workforce and financing arrangements required for sustained implementation. This should also go hand in hand with stronger welfare interventions outside the health sector to address the root social and economic determinants that drive poor mental health.