New report highlights need to help mental health patients stay in work

A new report from the UK's chief medical officer has underlined the need for a concerted effort to address mental health inequalities, with a specific focus on employment rates.

Professor Dame Sally Davies' annual report has observed that 70 million working days were lost to mental illness last year, costing the economy between 70 and 100 billion pounds.

In order to address this, it was recommended that a cost-benefit analysis be carried out to investigate possible fast-track mental healthcare for working people at risk of falling out of work, while investing further in services for children and young people.

Currently, 75 percent of people with diagnosable mental illness receive no treatment at all, with 60 to 70 percent of people with common mental disorders still in work.

The chief medical officer stated: "Investment in support for children and young people can help to prevent a multitude of problems in later life. Underinvestment in mental health services, particularly for young people, simply does not make sense economically."

This comes as part of a wider effort by the government to achieve greater parity between the prioritisation of physical and mental health within the UK.