Building systemic resilience, productivity and well-being: a Mental Wealth perspective

• Published in: BMJ global health Vol. 8; no. 9; p. e012942
• Main Authors: Occhipinti, Jo-An, Hynes, William, Geli, Patricia, Eyre, Harris A., Song, Yun, Prodan, Ante, Skinner, Adam, Ujdur, Goran, Buchanan, John, Green, Roy, Rosenberg, Sebastian, Fels, Allan, Hickie, Ian B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.09.2023; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Audiences; Climate change; Commentary; GDP; Global health; Gross Domestic Product; Innovations; Mental health; Mental Health & Psychiatry; Pandemics; Productivity; Prosperity; Public Health; Society; Underemployment; Public Health; Mental Health & Psychiatry
• ISSN: 2059-7908; 2059-7908
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012942

Brain capital encompasses a nation’s cognitive and emotional resources including (1) brain skills—cognitive capability, emotional intelligence and the ability to collaborate, be innovative and solve complex problems, (2) brain health which includes mental health, well-being and neurological disorders that critically impact the ability to deploy brain skills effectively, build and maintain positive relationships, and display resilience against challenges and uncertainties.1 Although brain skills and brain health are commonly examined at an individual level, brain capital represents a broader, collective concept and national asset that is a fundamental contributor to economic and social productivity (Mental Wealth—box 1).Box 1 What is Mental Wealth? [...]explanation on how the monetised Mental Wealth metric differs from other well-being indices is provided in Occhipinti et al.63 Further, Mental Wealth is more than simply an indicator, it provides a framework for understanding a critical feedback loop—whereby economic and social factors influence the accumulation and deployment of brain capital, which in turn drive economic and social productivity.1 The aim of this paper is to provide a systemic perspective on the interdependencies between brain capital (particularly mental health), economic and social well-being, and resilience. In addition to cyclical economic downturns, countries face dynamic, multidimensional and interconnected crises including climate change, energy shortages, rising inequity, food insecurity, and internal and international conflict, which cause significant economic and social disruption.6 Therefore, whether a result of the cyclical inevitability of market-based systems, given their design, operation and management, or of exogenous and endogenous shocks, social, economic and business systems will continue to be subject to frequent disruptions. The global slowdown in aggregate labour productivity since the 1990s has ignited significant debate.8–10 Commonly reported causes of the slowdown include declining innovation, an imbalance or deterioration in diffusion of innovation across sectors, a stabilisation of educational attainment, a deceleration of working-age population growth and increasing monopolisation with global frontier firms increasing their market share.8 11 12 The role of brain capital (encompassing brain health, mental capital, mental health and well-being) as a key driver of productivity and resilience is part of an emerging interdisciplinary (neuroscience, medicine, social science, etc) and systemic perspective in the broader, largely economic debate.