Newswise — Lawrenceville, NJ, USA—March 12, 2025—, the official journal of , announced today the publication of a special themed section of research papers exploring mental health economics, highlighting impacts on caregivers, productivity, and interventions’ cost-effectiveness. Guest editors for the themed section are Rachael Fleurence, PhD, MSc, Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and Jagpreet Chhatwal, PhD, Director of the Institute for Technology Assessment at Massachusetts General Hospital, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, and core faculty member of the Center for Health Decision Science at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The series was published in the March 2025 issue of .
"High-quality real-world data and rigorous economic evaluations are essential for informing mental-health resource allocation decisions and shaping effective policies at both national and global levels," noted Chhatwal in the . “The studies included in this themed section address important questions in the field, spanning the quantification of psychological distress and its impact, the effect of mental health conditions on caregivers and productivity, and the economic evaluation of both pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions.” The research is particularly timely given the World Health Organization's special initiative on mental health and growing concerns about worsening mental health indicators, especially among youth.
The themed section includes 8 research papers in 3 topical areas:
Group 1: Studies measuring aspects of mental health conditions associated with health-related quality of life and productivity losses:
- “,” by SA Keramat, T Comans, R Basri, D Daniel Bailey, D Brooks, and N Dissanayaka
- ",” by PT Lavikainen, AV Lehtimaki, J Heiskanen, RM Luoto, Z Ademi, and JA Martikainen
Group 2: Studies evaluating the cost-effectiveness of pharmacological and nonpharmacological mental health interventions:
- “,” by S Bates, Y Saidi, R Cookson, and colleagues
- "," by G Bray, J Moncrieff, S Priebe, and colleagues
- "," by AN Natsky, A Skinner, L Ospina-Pinillos, and colleagues
- “,” by JF Slejko, TJ Mattingly, 2nd, A Wilson, and colleagues
Group 3: Studies evaluating the effect of mental health conditions on caregivers:
- “,” by E Henry and J Cullinan
- “,” by C Ziebold, D McDaid, D King, and colleagues
The articles included in the themed section highlight the use of compelling methodologies, including advancements in cost-utility analyses, the use of survey-based longitudinal data, and economic evaluations of clinical trials. These approaches address important challenges in mental health economics, such as quantifying outcomes across diverse populations and geographies, and translating clinical trial findings into real-world economic contexts. Collectively, these studies contribute valuable evidence to inform resource allocation and policy decisions in mental health.
“As guest editors, we are deeply grateful to the authors, reviewers, and editorial team who have made this themed section possible,” concluded Chhatwal. “Their efforts not only advance the science of mental health economics but also reaffirm the importance of prioritizing mental health in global health agendas. We hope this collection of studies serves as a valuable resource for researchers and policy makers and inspires ongoing innovation in this vital field."
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ABOUT VALUE IN HEALTH
(ISSN 1098-3015) is an international, indexed journal that publishes original research and health policy articles that advance the field of health economics and outcomes research to help healthcare leaders make evidence-based decisions. The journal’s current impact factor score is 4.9 and its 5-year impact factor score is 5.6. Value in Health is ranked 5th of 118 journals in Health Policy and Services, 15th of 174 journals in Health Care Sciences and Services, and 56th of 597 journals in Economics. Value in Health is a monthly publication that circulates to more than 55,000 readers around the world.
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