A new study published in The Lancet Psychiatry reveals that cutting physical health problems linked to mental illnesses—such as alcohol use disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia—by just 1% could save over 190 million purchasing power standard Euros annually in hospital costs across Europe. Conducted by researchers at the Medical University of Vienna and funded by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the study underscores the urgent need to integrate mental and physical healthcare to boost overall health and reduce expenses.
People with serious mental health conditions experience higher rates of physical illnesses like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and infections, leading to significantly increased healthcare costs. This study is the first in Europe to estimate the excess hospital costs related to these physical conditions among patients with mental illnesses. By analyzing data from 32 European countries, the researchers found that these additional hospital costs total approximately 55.3 billion euros annually—broken down as 20.3 billion for alcohol use disorders, 6.7 billion for bipolar disorder, 26.5 billion for depressive disorders, and 1.8 billion for schizophrenia. The study also notes that individuals with schizophrenia may underuse available health services.
The findings highlight the substantial economic benefits that could result from better prevention, diagnosis, and integrated care pathways addressing physical health in people with serious mental illnesses. Improving access to and quality of care across both mental and physical health sectors could therefore ease the financial burden on Europe’s hospital systems while enhancing patient outcomes.
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