2023 / COVID

Measuring Population Mental Health

Citation

OECD (2023), Measuring Population Mental Health, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5171eef8-en.

Link to file

A group of people practicing yoga in a park on a sunny dayGood mental health is a key part of people’s overall well-being, and the COVID-19 pandemic brought renewed attention to just how important it is. But so far, there hasn’t been enough focus on how governments should track mental health at the population level — or how to measure both mental illness and positive mental states together.

This report helps national statistical offices and other data collectors gather high-quality information on population mental health more often, more consistently, and in ways that can be compared across countries. It looks at how OECD countries currently measure mental health, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of different tools, and recommends priority measures to include in household, social, and health surveys.

Measuring Population Mental Health is the first of two reports that are part of a broader assessment of mental health and well-being within the OECD’s work on measuring well-being.

Abstract

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.