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Measuring Population Mental Health

image of Measuring Population Mental Health

Good mental health is a vital part of people’s well-being, and the COVID-19 pandemic brought renewed attention to its importance. However, discussions so far have not focused sufficiently on how governments should best monitor it at the broader population level, and on how to consider both mental ill-health and positive mental states. This report supports national statistical offices and other data producers in collecting high-quality measures of population mental health outcomes in a more frequent, consistent and internationally harmonised manner. It documents existing measurement practice across OECD countries, discusses the advantages and limitations of available measurement tools, and recommends priority measures to adopt in household, social and health surveys. Measuring Population Mental Health is the first of two reports as part of an assessment of mental health and well-being in the context of the OECD's work on measuring well-being.

English

What is population mental health and why should we measure it?

Mental health is a vital component of people’s well-being, and measuring it is essential to monitor what ultimately matters to people. The aim of this report is to encourage official data producers to collect data on population mental health outcomes more frequently and in an internationally harmonised manner. Considering all aspects of mental health, ranging from mental ill-health (which may or may not include a diagnosed mental health condition) to positive mental states, can provide new avenues for a proactive rather than reactive design of mental health systems and services, and it can open up space for policy to focus on both reducing illness and promoting people’s flourishing. Collecting data on mental ill-health and positive mental health in household, social and health surveys would yield a more complete picture of mental health and help to better understand the drivers and policy levers for improving it.

English

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