Making an Economic Case for Prevention and Promotion

Abstract

The scarcity of resources relative to the needs and demands for them leads inevitably to some difficult choices. Economic analysis aims to support those choices. Techniques such as cost-effectiveness analysis are concerned with the link between, on the one hand, the human and other resources expended and, on the other, the problems averted and the outcomes achieved. Most of the economics work in the mental health field has concentrated on treatments for recognised disorders, but the techniques of analysis are equally relevant to promotion and prevention. The paper briefly describes the methods of cost-effectiveness and related analyses, and then discusses their potential in relation to promotion of well-being (particularly for children and in the workplace), early intervention services for psychosis and suicide prevention strategies. Economists most certainly do not have simple answers to the tough questions faced by decision makers, but the techniques of economic evaluation can help by providing useful evidence to inform responses to those questions.

Keywords:

• economics
• cost-effectiveness
• promotion
• prevention
• early intervention
• suicide