Report: Mental illness will cost the world $16 trillion (USD) by 2030

A new Lancet Commission report on mental health released Oct. 9 said that mental disorders are on the rise in every country in the world and will cost the global economy $16 trillion by 2030. The economic cost is primarily due to early onset of mental illness and lost productivity, with an estimated 12 billion working days lost due to mental illness every year, a press release from the Carter Center stated. The report recommends that mental health be reframed as a fundamental human right, and that the definition be expanded to promote mental well‐being, prevent mental health problems and enable recovery from mental disorders. “Mental health is often neglected and underfunded, even though nearly 2 billion people suffer from mental illness every year,” said Lancet report co‐author Janice Cooper, Ph.D., who leads the Carter Center's mental health work in Liberia. “Our work in Liberia shows us that we need to begin with young people and train teachers to identify and refer students for help. We have seen substantial progress working with the Liberian government to ramp up mental health care services in every county, including school‐based clinics in more than 20 schools and services in 14 prisons.” Since 2010, the Carter Center Mental Health Program in Liberia has worked with the Liberian government to pass its first Mental Health Act and build its mental health infrastructure.