The cost of mental disorders in Denmark: a register-based study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Mental disorders represent a significant global health challenge.
• Quantifying the economic impact of mental disorders is crucial for resource allocation and policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive analysis of healthcare costs, public transfer payments, and income loss linked to 18 types of mental disorders in Denmark.
• To determine the economic burden per case and per capita for each mental disorder.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nationwide Danish health registry data to identify individuals with diagnoses of 18 mental disorders.
• Employed a case-control design, matching each case with 10 age- and sex-matched controls.
• Analyzed outcomes including nationwide totals, cost per case, and cost per capita, stratified by sex, age, and time since diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Individuals with any mental disorder experienced an estimated annual income loss of 5 billion Euros and excess healthcare costs of 1 billion Euros.
• Each specific mental disorder was associated with increased income loss, healthcare costs, and public transfer payments compared to controls.
• Economic impacts varied by disorder, sex, age, and time elapsed since diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Mental disorders impose a substantial economic burden on Danish society through income loss and increased healthcare expenditure.
• The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and policies to mitigate the economic and social consequences of mental health conditions.
• An interactive data visualization tool is available for further exploration of the summary data.