Prevention, innovation and implementation science in mental health: the next wave of reform

Although the corrosive effect of mental ill health on human health and happiness has long been recognised, it is only relatively recently that mental illness has been acknowledged as one of the major threats to economic productivity worldwide. This is because the major mental disorders most commonly have their onset during adolescence and early adulthood, and therefore have a disproportionate impact on the most productive decades of life. With the costs associated with mental ill health estimated to double over the next two decades, a greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention has become even more imperative. Although prevention largely remains aspirational for many reasons, early intervention is well within our current reach and offers the potential to significantly reduce the impact of mental ill health on our health, happiness and prosperity in the immediate future.