A new report estimates that racial mental health disparities cost the United States around $278 billion between 2016 and 2020, putting a price tag on a health equity issue that’s long plagued the nation (Source: “Racial Mental Health Disparities Cost US $278B in 4 Years,” Patient Engagement, HIT, Sept. 14).
According to the report from Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, between 2016 and 2020, the U.S. saw an excess of 117,000 premature deaths among indigenous and racial or ethnic minorities due to mental health needs, adding $278 billion in excess costs.
“Investing in mental healthcare saves lives and dollars — we have known this for decades, but until now did not fully understand the monumental impacts of neglecting to act,” Daniel E. Dawes, a professor and the executive director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute, said in a statement.
Original source can be found here.
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