Hospital-based Analysis of the Effects of Mental Health Disorders on Asthma and Nutrition Disorder Admissions and the Cost Saving by Investing in Mental Health in Bhutan

Abstract

Purposes: Aims to explicate the relationship between mental health and disease morbidity in Bhutan and the
association between mental health and these two major public health concerns. Furthermore, we evaluated
the added economic cost-savings benefit.
Methodology: Univariate linear regression was initially utilized and calculated and ran a Shapiro-Wilk W
test and a Lagrange multiplier test.
Findings: It was indicated that for every one-unit increase in the number of admittances categorized as a
mental health disorder within Bhutan, there is a significant average increase in health center admissions for
asthma by 0.3601 and for nutritional disorders. It was estimated that the increase in the reduction of mental
health disorders would increase the number of averted cases and the cost-saving to the Bhutanese healthcare
systems to a significant level.
Research limitation: We were unable to infer whether there was an increase in health center admissions
due to new disease development or to higher occurrences of existing symptoms caused by these diseases.
Practical implications: In order to decrease the burden of comorbidities associated with mental health
disorders, proper dispersal of accessible resources in addition to investment in mental healthcare is necessary.
Social implications: Findings reinforce the need to properly invest in mental health services not only for its
own sake but also for the significant morbidities associated with other diseases.
Originality: All data presented in this manuscript are true and valid and no data from the study has been or
will be published separately.