This paper provides an exposition of the concepts relevant to measuring the economic effect of suicide and the conception of how the social loss from suicide can be incorporated into social welfare measurement. Suicide may perform a “warning” function of immanent societal problems. If so,...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that, although there are some unique features associated with mental illness, such special features do not preclude economic analysis. Design/methodology/approach – As a mechanism for understanding how individual economic studies fit into...

The production of specialist psychiatric services in Australia reflects the “mixed” system of public and private production of health services generally. This paper, an exercise in descriptive or positive economics, is concerned only with private production, i.e. those services provided by...

Purpose – Multiple connotations and conceptions of health need are currently in use. The purpose of this paper is to specify some important distinctions regarding this confusing multiplicity in a taxonomic fashion relevant to the economic problems that arise in addressing health need....

Purpose – Government policy can alleviate inequities in living standards. Disabled people often qualify for government assistance which is one way that their living standard can improve, although arbitrary systems for distributing assistance are not likely to serve equity objectives. The...