This document summarizes research on the impact of depression on healthcare expenses. It finds that costs associated with depression are substantial, including direct medical costs which were $12 billion in the 1990s and $98.9 billion in 2010, as well as workplace costs from lost productivity. Treatment options like pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce costs, but their relative cost-effectiveness depends on factors like treatment duration and therapist salaries. While research is improving, gaps remain around issues like measuring quality-adjusted life years.

1. Impact of depression on
healthcare expenses

2. DISCLAIMER
Cost finding can be affected by the following:
◦ Costing perspective (provider vs societal vs consumer)
◦ Type of therapist (doctoral vs master’s vs professional)
◦ Public or private setting
◦ Duration of intervention
◦ Overhead rate applied

3. How does this relate to
health economics?

4. PRODUCTIVITY

5. LARGE MEDICAL EXPENDITURE

6. RISING MEDICAL EXPENSE

8. Analysis of...
No Treatment
Costs associated with:
Direct
Suicide
Workplace
Large gap in the literature
Pharmacological
Treatment
Choice of drug varies by study
Variance in measurement
across studies
Cognitive Behavior
Therapy
Variance in measurement
across studies
Inconsistency of salaries of
therapists

9. No treatment
Direct Costs
1990s ≈ $12 billion
2000 ≈ $26 billion
2005 ≈ $77.5 billion
2010 ≈ $98.9 billion
Workplace Costs
Presenteeism vs Absenteeism
Equivalent of ≈ 32
incremental workdays lost
Suicide-related
Costs
Suicide rate:
14.2 per 100,000 in 2005
15.9 per 100,000 in 2010
50% attributable to
depression

10. Pharmacological Treatment
Effectiveness
Cost vs Impact on daily life
QALYs
To be determined…
Comparison with…
Cognitive Therapy & No
Treatment

11. Cognitive therapy treatment
Effectiveness
Cost vs Impact on life
QALYs
To be determined…
Compared with…
Medication

12. Discussion of findings

13. Pro’s & con’s
of review
PRO CON
Research is evolving Comorbidities
Gaps being addressed Inconsistency in literature
Cost of treatment outweighed by
savings
Unable to find a standard way to
measure QALYs
Every literature review has valley’s
and mountains

14. Wrap Up

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