Digital solutions that address challenges in patient engagement and support are set to transform the behavioral healthcare landscape

The lack of mental health parity in care delivery has been spoken of several times before, but probably little has been done globally to treat this serious cause of disability. While the system has relied on inadequate infrastructure, resources, and qualified personnel in the past, the digital health revolution has begun to make alternatives available to solve such challenges. Frost & Sullivan’s new analysis, Future of Behavioral Healthcare Paradigms, Forecast to 2022, throws light on the growing importance of behavioral healthcare, and several new avenues now becoming available to provide suitable care to those in need.

Why Behavioral Health Is More Important Now than Ever

Global prevalence of mental disorders is a whopping 29%; and coupled with substance abuse disorders, this category forms the number 1 cause of disability globally. As per World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, musculoskeletal disorders form the second highest cause of disability, but trail behind the top cause (mental and neurological diseases) by 129%! The economic impact of behavioral health illnesses is a whopping $16.3 trillion! That is the estimated global cumulative economic output loss attributed to behavioral health disorders between 2011 and 2030.

Despite these statistics, it is well-known that behavioral healthcare delivery lacks in several aspects, falling significantly short of the need. Almost 45% of the world’s population lives in about 60 countries which have less than 1 psychiatrist per 100,000 people, and only 1% of the total global healthcare workforce can deal with behavioral health issues. The cumulative effect is that a large number of those suffering from behavioral health issues go undiagnosed. For example, in 2004, 56.3% of depression patients, 50.2% with bipolar disorder and 32.2% of schizophrenia sufferers were undiagnosed, according to the WHO assessments. This is where the opportunity for stakeholders lies, with the advent of digital technology solutions to support them.