Review

The costs of mental illness

THE ECONOMICS OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Ruth Williams and D Doessel
Ashgate, 2001, £45

Be warned. Anyone, like me, who is not a trained economist will have difficulty reading this book. The authors say their purpose in writing the book is to expose the gaps in the knowledge of economics issues related to services for people with mental illnesses, and to provide a framework for filling those gaps.

It is written by two Australian academics who draw heavily on experiences in their own country, although much of their work is relevant to Western society as a whole. The authors acknowledge the lack of study by fellow economists. They state, almost apologetically, that they have included an unusual amount of descriptive material on mental illness for an economics book. They believe it is part of their task to raise awareness among economists, and stress the misinformation and stigma associated with mental illness in Western societies.

They argue that economists must take an economic interest in mental illness because of its financial impact on populations, even if they may choose to pay little attention to sociological factors.

As a mental health professional I applaud the authors’ attempt to widen the debate in this clearly neglected area. One chapter deals with a survey of the economics of mental health care. It concludes with the hope that a century from now the progress of knowledge in economics and mental health care will be seen as rational, orderly and humane. I hope so too – but must it take a hundred years?