The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Preventative Mental Health Interventions in Adolescent Populations
Cost-Effectiveness of Preventative Mental Health Interventions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2603Keywords:
mental health, cost effectiveness, kidsAbstract
Mental disorders affect one in five adolescents, creating a burden of billions of dollars in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and lowered quality of life. This review updated prior systematic reviews from 2015-2022 to identify gaps and inform future research on the cost-effectiveness of prevention mental health interventions for adolescents aged 13–18 in high-income countries (HICs). These interventions include school-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based training, digital applications, community-based and support-based programs. Estimated benefit-cost ratios for preventive mental health interventions for adolescents range from 4:1–18:1 or higher, based on reductions in medical costs, academic and structural educational progress, and lifetime increased earnings. Key gaps in the literature were demonstration of long-term economic impact around adolescent mental disorders, efficacy and sustainability of programs in low-resource areas, and access to mental health programs for marginalized groups. Current movement towards digital platforms, additional aims of culture/equity, expanding beyond schools, encouraging policy direction and research. Future direction, practice, and research included: digital personalization using artificial intelligence (AI), worldwide scalability, and current use of interdisciplinary metrics. Our review emphasizes the economic and social return on prevention mental health intervention implementation, and it provides the work to consider for those health providers and policymakers addressing the adolescent mental health crisis.
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