The Relationship between Mental Health and Economic Performance: From Human Capital to Integrated Policy Frameworks

Abstract

Mental health has become an important factor in the economy, but it has not been well measured before. This paper shows how mental health and economy interact with each other, using human capital theory, behavioral economics and ability method. We now understand that mental health is like a kind of productive capital, which has changed our view: we no longer only consider physical health, but also include prevention, action at work and economic calculation. Digital tools-such as machine learning for early detection of problems, mobile applications for helping many people, and economic models using mental health indicators-help us to better measure and invest. Specific examples of work productivity planning, disease cost research and policy evaluation show good results. But there are still problems: proper measurement, stigma related to disease, unequal opportunities for everyone and lack of funds in the short term. Looking ahead, we are considering setting up a special account for mental health, investing in prevention and using digital tools in an ethical way. In a word, mental health is an important part of economy, which can improve productivity, growth and fairness, but it must be measured, invested and managed in an inclusive way for a long time.