On the occasion of World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2023, The European Psychiatry released a Special Issue on The Value of Treatment (VOT) focusing on Early Intervention and Continuity of Care for Mental Disorders (Anorexia Nervosa, Autism and Major Depressive Disorder).

With this new Study, the European Brain Council (EBC), together with its members and academic partners (Hospital Universitario Gregorio Maranon, King’s College London, The London School of Economics and Political Science and University of Greenwich, is not only looking at the socio-economic impact and value of optimal healthcare interventions but is also emphasizing how timely care pathways are likely to need greater integration and how collaborative care between primary care and specialist care – inexistant in many countries – can be achieved in the future for the benefit of those living with a mental disorder.

Like any other mental disorders, anorexia nervosa, autism, and major depressive disorder all share similar challenges. People with mental health issues face complex biological, psychosocial, and healthcare needs with clear implications in terms of quality of life and costing. According to the case study results on autism, more than 60% of parents say they do not get the support they need for their child. The duration of untreated illness for adolescents with anorexia nervosa can be high. Many young adults with major depressive disorder are not receiving treatment at any one time and it is known that both duration of untreated illness and the number of ineffective treatments trialed are risk factors for poorer long-term outcomes.