The Economic Advantages of Early Screening and Early Detection of Mental Disorders: A Health Systems Perspective

Mental disorders are among the leading causes of disability worldwide and impose substantial economic costs on individuals, healthcare systems, and national economies. While the clinical rationale for early identification of mental disorders is well established, the economic implications of systematic early screening and detection remain underemphasized in policy discourse. This paper examines the economic advantages of early screening and early detection of common and severe mental disorders, integrating findings from epidemiology, cost-of-illness studies, cost-effectiveness analyses, and health systems research. Evidence consistently demonstrates that delayed diagnosis is associated with increased healthcare utilization, reduced labor force participation, lower lifetime earnings, and higher social welfare expenditures. Conversely, early detection—particularly when integrated into primary care and early intervention services—has been shown to improve functional outcomes and, in many contexts, to be cost-effective or cost-saving from a societal perspective. The analysis supports the conclusion that early mental health screening constitutes not only a clinical priority but also a fiscally responsible strategy for health system sustainability and economic productivity.