to a potential cost savings of more than £150 million. Data analysis Collection of enormous amounts of structured data on mental health patients introduces the possibility of improved mental health care, mental health policy, and overall perception of mental health. This analysis would be performed on a macro-scale, the study of the incidence of mental health in a public health and epidemiological context. Need for mental health informatics The need for and application of health informatics in primary and secondary health care has been well established in developed countries for 20 years or more. The application of informatics in mental health has not become as pervasive, in spite of professional recognition the domain appearing well suited to computerisation and the need for quantified outcome evidence. There also may be a professional reluctance to effect changes in established working patterns that the introduction of systems necessarily entails. Concerns Data and information in health informatics are inherently private and personal. Pervasive software systems designed to help diagnose and treat mental health symptoms expose a privacy vulnerability and will likely require regulatory standards and data protection compliance such as HIPAA to protect patients. A major impediment may be societal stigma associated with mental disorders as well as increased sensitivity about protecting the privacy and confidentiality of records in mental health care. References Health informatics informatics