Counting all the costs: the economic impacts of poor physical health in people with mental health problems

People with severe mental health problems such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression are at increased risk of a range of chronic physical health problems. Poor concordance with treatment and underutilisation of physical health services may be contributory factors. Co-morbid physical health problems not only have health but substantial economic impacts, in terms of increased health care expenditure and other costs such as subsequent impacts on absenteeism from work and premature mortality. Given the high economic costs of comorbidity, effective prevention and early interventions and better integration/collaboration between physical and mental health services to address physical health problems have the potential to be cost effective and need to be evaluated.