Investing in support services makes economic sense, our whole society will benefit
By Paul Bolger. Chartered Physiotherapist at Nano Physiotherapy, Kilkenny (www.nanophysio.ie).
Over the past several weeks I have outlined how childhood maltreatment results in a greater risk of long-term health conditions. On the level of basic human decency, offering support and help to those children and families in need seems like it should be a given, right? Adequate services are a must. Today, I want to make the case for investing in these services – not from a general decency perspective, but from a long-term economic and societal perspective.
Now, while I usually use research to inform my articles, today’s article, while grounded in some evidence, is also driven by my own opinion and is open to scrutiny.
Nurture & Develop
As stated in a previous article, we all need love and support from a young age and throughout life. Even children who are subjected to abuse seem to be somewhat protected from the negative consequences of that maltreatment when they have loving, supportive, predictable caregivers in their life. A nurturing environment lays the foundations for healthy development.
A child who is given the opportunity to develop in such an environment is less likely to develop health problems in later life – mental and physical. They are more likely to be able to participate in school, education and future occupations.
Growth & Participation
It goes without saying that if more people in our society grow and develop in such a way, a higher percentage of us will lead normal working lives, offering more to society as a whole and almost certainly leading to greater levels of innovation.
This would naturally result in a greater degree of productivity across our society and reduced reliance on future social support in adulthood. From an economic perspective this would result in greater input into the nation’s balance sheets and less deductions – allowing us the opportunity to invest in other projects like transport, innovation, education, etc.
Healthier Adult Population
While illness and disease are facts of life, if those children and families in need of support are given the means to thrive, the future burden on the healthcare system will diminish. This would free up resources and allow the healthcare system to function more effectively (provided it is resourced adequately and run efficiently).
Decision Makers
As taxpayers, we all contribute to the bank balance of this country of ours. The policy makers then decide what to do with our money, how they divvy it out. National budgets are clear indicators as to what the decision makers in government care about. I believe that we will all benefit from smart, consistent investment in supporting those who need it most.
How that money should be spent, I believe, should be put to those who know most about this area – the psychologists, care workers, social workers, researchers, educators and the people and communities who have used such services.
While in an ideal world we could write a blank check for those in need, decisions must be made as to what to prioritise. I believe decisions and compromise over priorities and direction should be driven by collaboration between those people mentioned above (not by individuals in high-ranking positions who have little experience in the field).
While these services, and many other health-related services, will never directly run at a profit – society as a whole certainly profits.
This article has taken a detour from my usual physiotherapy-related information – but don’t worry, we will return to that next week!
