Mental or psychological well-being is part of an individual’s capacity to lead a worry-free and fulfilling life. That includes the ability to study, work or pursue leisure interests, and to make day-to-day personal or household decisions about educational, employment, housing, or other choices with ease. Disturbances to an individual’s mental well-being compromise these capacities which can sometimes be in a fundamental and enduring manner. 

Mental health is one of the most neglected areas of health in the Philippines. This was true even before the occurrence of the Covid 19. However, the pandemic has further worsened the status of mental health in the Philippines. 

Before the pandemic even started, mental health illness was already the third most common problem in the Philippines. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every 40 seconds, someone dies because of suicide. That is approximately 800,000 people who die by suicide annually and has become the number one cause of death of individuals age 15-29. In addition, an estimated 10 to 20 percent of children and adolescents suffer from some form of mental health disorder in the Philippines. A 2015 survey of Philippine high school students age 13 to 17 revealed that nearly 17 percent had attempted suicide in the year 2020 while 12 percent had thought about it.

The potential consequences of mental disorder are numerous, including disturbed mood, thought or behavior affecting the relationship, and lost earnings or savings as a result of impaired workability or health care expenditures by households. Mental disorder among individuals or households creates a pressure on the society to provide a range of health and welfare services. 

Covid 19 has battled the global economy. Since the Philippines is a third-world country, we cannot provide the fiscal and monetary support on a scale that advanced economies have done. Thus, the downfall of the Philippine economy. It is almost like a loop in the sense that poor mental health leads to a lack of economic performance. Economics and mental health are intertwined in multiple ways. Economics is relevant in mental health and setting out the main types of economic evaluation that are appropriate for interventions and their implications.

Economics is concerned with the use and distribution of resources among the individuals making up a society, and how different ways of allocating resources impact on their well-being. A common misconception is that economics is just about saving money. In fact, economics is about the optimal allocation of available or potentially available resources. Economic growth helps enable consumers to consume more goods and services and enjoy better standards of living. Economic growth during the Twentieth Century is a major factor in reducing absolute levels of poverty and enabling a rise in life expectancy.

According to WHO, every $1 invested in mental health, yields a $4 return on investment. This is a reason why government thus needs to allocate resources from development assistance and domestic health budgets to implement community-based-mental-disorders to avoid the downfall of the economy.