The "total cost" story no. 538

1. You're a much-ignored concern which wants to get some funding.
2. To get funding, you need to show that your area of interest is Really Important in a way that will get some news coverage.
3. You release a report in which you add up every conceivable cost, expenditure etc related to your area of interest, which is always a 'shockingly high figure'.

This week, it's the turn of mental illness, which apparently costs the UK £77bn per year.

'Care for the mentally ill cost £12.5bn, including NHS, local authority and private care, as well as that provided by family and friends. The NHS alone spent £6.5bn on mental health services last year. The cost to the economy of people not being able to work because of their illness was put at £23.1bn by the centre's report. Around 39% of adults with a mental health problem do not have a job, which in itself represents a loss of £9.4bn. The final £41.8bn chunk of the £77.4bn bill was made up of the 'hidden' costs, say the report's authors.'

Oh yes. Assuming that the country needs that 'lost work', that those 'hidden costs' are genuine etc. Trouble is, does anybody ever really believe any of these reports?

Mental illness bill tops £77bn, BBC News, 4 June 2003
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