Cover The economic burden of lost productivity due to depression and anxiety in Singapore is estimated at US$11.7 billion (Photo: Getty Images)
The economic burden of lost productivity due to depression and anxiety in Singapore is estimated at US$11.7 billion (Photo: Getty Images)
1 / 1
A recent study revealed that loss of productivity due to anxiety and depression is taking a toll on the country’s GDP, emphasising the need for programmes to address mental health disorders
One in eight people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2019, or some 970 million people, primarily being affected by anxiety and depressive disorders, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
These figures have increased considerably since the Covid-19 pandemic, reports the WHO, which estimates a 26 per cent and 28 per cent increase respectively for anxiety and major depressive disorders in just one year. As such, mental health requires particular attention from all nations, whether in terms of prevention, information, treatment or even access to care.
You might also like: The art of self-care: How to take care of your physical and mental health
Beyond the public health issue, countries must also take into account the economic burden that such disorders can represent. In Singapore, for example, lost productivity due to anxiety and depression is estimated to cost no less than US$11.7 billion (almost HK$92 billion) a year or 2.9 per cent of the city-state’s GDP, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
Published in the journal BMC Psychiatry, the research is based on data from a survey of 5,725 Singaporean adults conducted between April and June 2022.
After determining the proportion of anxiety and depressive disorders in the population, the scientists identified the consequences of such problems, particularly in terms of health expenses and work productivity.
The results provide an estimate of the economic burden that anxiety and depression could represent, namely nearly 3 per cent of GDP. A significant figure that highlights the importance of setting up programs, in Singapore and elsewhere in the world, to help tackle mental health disorders.
Lost productivity
In detail, the study found that 14 per cent of the adults surveyed had depressive symptoms, and 15 per cent had anxiety disorders, with many suffering symptoms of both. Of these, only about a third (32 per cent) sought help for treatment, and about a quarter (24 per cent) consulted a mental health professional.
The researchers also noted that 13 per cent of those affected by these mental health conditions made at least one trip to the emergency room, and 9 per cent were hospitalised. They estimate that the annual increase in healthcare costs for these patients could be S$1,050, or about US$785 (around HK$6,161).
At the same time, the study revealed that people affected by these disorders missed 17.7 more days of work per year and were 40 per cent less productive at work. This data allowed the researchers to estimate the cost of this lost productivity due to anxiety and depression at S$15.7 billion or US$11.7 billion.
In light of these findings, the scientists recommend improving access to support programmes and treatments, increasing knowledge about mental health, and expanding the training of health professionals to treat these symptoms.
In 2018, two years before the pandemic, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimated the total cost of mental ill-health in the European Union to be over €600 billion (more than HK$5,000 billion) or more than 4 per cent of GDP.
And these figures may have increased since the pandemic, once again underscoring the important need for action to prevent certain disorders and improve care for those concerned.
All rights reserved ©2023 ETX Daily Up
Topics
