Economic Governance of Workers’ Mental Health under the Global Migration Wave: Empirical Reconstruction of Medical Demand, Medical Mobility and the Chinese Path

Objective: This paper systematically reviews the research progress of mental health economics in the intersection of labor economics and welfare economics, focusing on the impact mechanisms, economic costs, and intervention strategies of workers’ mental health. Subjects and methods: Based on top-down and bottom-up cost analysis frameworks, combined with empirical data and policy cases, quantify the impact of mental health issues on productivity and social costs, and assess the economic effectiveness of interventions. Results: A survey has found that factors such as the working environment and psychological capital are among the most important factors affecting workers. At the same time, health problems can also lead to a 5% increase in employee absenteeism, increase a large amount of enterprise expenses, and generate high social costs. The cost of depression can be as high as 23 times that of normal medical expenses. However, if treated appropriately, Interventions through supportive employment and other means can also guarantee productivity improvement by 10% to 15%. Conclusions: From the perspective of welfare economics, it is necessary to balance the efficiency of resource allocation and social equity. Through policy tools such as mental health security systems and the promotion of digital therapies, a governance system for the mental health of workers should be established to provide theoretical basis and practical paths for reducing economic burdens and optimizing human capital.