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01/15/2025
Study: Expanding Mental Health Access Would Boost Ohio Economy
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
Increasing access to mental health services would boost Ohio’s economy, according to a new study (Source: “Expanding Access to Mental Health Supports Would Help the Economy, According to New Report,” Ohio Capital Journal, January 10, 2025).
The cost of untreated mental health challenges to the U.S. economy is nearly $300 billion — mainly due to lost productivity and higher healthcare expenditures, according to a new study from the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers.
“The economic toll of untreated mental health and substance use disorders is quite staggering, with wide ranging effects on the labor market outcomes, productivity, and overall economic growth,” Teresa Lampl, CEO of the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Service Providers, said recently during a press conference. “Untreated mental health issues lead to high rates of absenteeism, decreased productivity, and reduced production.”
Improving access to mental health supports would add an additional $53 billion in economic output nationally, according to the study.
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