Identification and Measurement of Criminal Justice Costs in Mental Health Economics Crossing Lines

This thesis investigated the broader costs and consequences of mental health, with a specific focus on those costs that fall in the criminal justice system. In the field of health economics, analyses are conducted where costs and outcome measures (e.g. quality of life) are compared, to arrive at a so-called cost-benefit ratio. This provides information for policy makers which interventions are more cost effective than others, and helps them in their reimbursement decisions. The costs included in these analyses directly affect the outcome of the ratio. Yet, oftentimes, costs that fall in the criminal justice sector (for example, contact with a police) are neglected because the methods to properly include those are scarce. This dissertation identified and prioritised the costs in the criminal justice sector. In addition, we did some additional studies to gain knowledge about the cost-measurement methodology, which is often neglected in health economics.