PMH31 The Cost of a Schizophrenia Relapse in the Brazilian Private Health Care System

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Depression is a major health problem. Previous studies on the cost of depression have mainly taken a primary care perspective. Such studies do not include all patients with depression, and should be completed by cost estimates from psychiatric care. The objectives of this study were to estimate the annual societal cost of depression per patient in psychiatric care in Sweden, and to relate costs to disease severity, depressive episodes, hospitalization, and patient functioning. METHODS: Retrospective resource use data in inpatient and outpatient care for 2006-2008, as well as ICD-10 diagnoses and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), were obtained from Northern Stockholm psychiatric clinic with a catchment area including 47% of the adult inhabitants in Stockholm city. This data set was combined with national register data on prescription pharmaceuticals and sick leave to estimate the societal cost of depression. RESULTS: The study included 10,593 patients (63% women). The average annual societal cost per patient was around USD 21,000 in 2006-2008. The largest cost item was indirect costs due to productivity losses (89%), and the second largest was outpatient care (6%). Patients with mild, moderate or severe depression had an average cost of approximately USD 18,000, USD 21,000, and USD 29,000, respectively. Total costs were significantly higher during depressive episodes, for patients with co-morbid psychosis or anxiety, for hospitalized patients, and for patients with low GAF scores. CONCLUSIONS:The largest share of societal costs for patients with depression in psychiatric care is indirect. The total costs were higher than previously reported from a primary care setting, and strongly related to hospitalization, episodes of active depression, and global functioning. This suggests that effective treatment and rehabilitation that avoid depressive episodes and hospitalization may not only improve patient health, but also reduce the societal cost of depression.