Investing into mental health and wellbeing of new mothers, children and young people, in particular those living in poverty, contributes to economic and social wellbeing of this and future generations globally. However, implementing or scaling evidence-based interventions or approaches has been a major challenge in most countries. Different types of economic evidence should inform resource allocation decisions in these areas but there are also many challenges. Appropriate methodological approaches and stakeholder engagement are examples of factors that influence success.

Drawing on latest research, Annette will present evidence on wide-ranging individual, societal and economic impacts and costs of maternal, child and youth mental health. She will present what is known about the economic case for interventions in these areas, including for targeted and integrated responses that address the social determinants of mental health, such as poverty. She will highlight knowledge gaps, and provide some responses to overcome them. This will include responses to questions how economic evidence can inform scaling, including the role of methodologies that draw on stakeholder engagement. Finally, drawing also on her own experiences, she will provide examples of how economic evidence has informed scaling decisions in health and social care highlighting the role of active and collaborative knowledge exchange in research.