Transforming Mental Healthcare: A Crude Return-on-Investment Analysis of the Chhattisgarh Community Mental Healthcare Tele-Mentoring Program (CHaMP), India

Background Mental illness poses a significant public health concern globally, with depressive and anxiety disorders alone costing over $1 trillion annually in lost productivity. In Chhattisgarh, India, a resource-limited state, the Chhattisgarh Community Mental Healthcare Tele-Mentoring Program (CHaMP) is operational to train Primary Care Doctors (PCDs) in mental health diagnosis and treatment. This paper evaluates its economic impact using a crude return on investment (ROI) analysis. Methods A total of 2,056 PCDs received over 1,600 hours of training, resulting in the diagnosis and treatment of 51,738 patients with mental health disorders from September 2019 to September 2022. The program's impact was evaluated by comparing costs between consultations at tertiary care hospitals and PHCs, factoring in expenses for travel, food, incidental fees, and wage losses. Stakeholders involved in cost estimations included psychiatrists, government officials, program participants, and beneficiaries. The calculated financial metrics included return on investment (ROI) by calculating the percentage of the net profit by the cost of investment. The initiative's total investment encompassed training materials, salaries, and logistical expenses for trainers visiting districts. Result The total project cost was INR 1,19,71,000 (142,706 USD), while the savings from reduced out-of-pocket expenditure and wage losses amounted to INR 5,82,83,182 (694,792 USD), yielding a net profit of INR 4,63,12,182 (552,086 USD) and an ROI of 386%, indicating that the gains from the program's investment are 3.8 times the cost of implementation, yielding significant economic benefits. This means that for every 1 rupee the government invests, the public saves approximately 4 rupees in out-of-pocket expenditure. This demonstrates that the program effectively reduces the cost of providing primary mental healthcare to the community. Conclusion The study emphasizes the effectiveness of integrating mental health services into primary healthcare by leveraging technology for training. The provision of community-based care is associated with a significant return on investment. Further studies are needed with formal cost-benefit methods.