Research & Insights for Workplace Wellbeing

Explore open-access and peer-reviewed research, evidence, expert insights, and practical frameworks, carefully curated and summarised, with clear takeaways to support confident, informed decision-making across the workplace wellbeing industry.

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Cost-effectiveness Evidence of Mental Health Prevention and Promotion Interventions: A Systematic Review of Economic Evaluations

Long Khanh-Dao Le, Adrian Cuevas Esturas, Cathrine Mihalopoulos, Oxana Chiotelis, Jessica Bucholc, Mary Lou Chatterton, Lidia Engel

PLOS Medicine

2021 May

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003606

Public Library of Science (PLOS)

Licence Label: CC BY 4.0

This review looks at whether mental health prevention and wellbeing programmes are worth the investment. Across 65 studies, most interventions showed positive value, particularly those aimed at people at higher risk rather than entire populations. Approaches combining screening with psychological support (like CBT), along with parenting and workplace initiatives, showed the strongest results. However, the evidence is mixed, with many studies using short timeframes or different methods, making comparisons difficult. While the overall direction is encouraging, it remains unclear how well these results translate into long-term impact in real-world workplace settings.

This research helps organisations understand whether mental health prevention and wellbeing programmes are a worthwhile investment

  • Many interventions show positive value for money, but results are not consistent across all approaches
  • Targeted support is generally more effective than broad, population-wide programmes
  • Approaches that combine early identification with structured support tend to deliver better outcomes
  • Evidence of long-term impact is limited, with many studies focused on short timeframes
  • Differences in how studies are designed make it hard to compare what works best
  • Real-world effectiveness may differ from controlled research settings
  • Organisations need clearer, practical evidence to guide investment and scaling decisions

© 2021 Le et al. Published by PLOS. The original work remains the intellectual property of the authors and publisher. Commentary by The Well Crowd. © The Well Crowd Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved. This content provides a summary and independent commentary on the original research and does not reproduce the original publication. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional or medical advice. No part of this content may be reproduced or distributed without prior written permission

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