Effect of reliable recovery on health care costs and productivity losses in emotional disorders

Sara Barrio-Martínez; Paloma Ruiz-Rodríguez; Leonardo Adrián Medrano; Amador Priede; Roger Muñoz-Navarro; Juan Antonio Moriana; María Carpallo-González; Maider Prieto-Vila; Antonio Cano-Vindel; César González-Blanch

Resumen:

Despite the high economic costs associated with emotional disorders, relatively few studies have examined the variation in costs according to whether or not the patient has achieved a reliable recovery or not. The aim of this study was to explore differences in health care costs and productivity losses between primary care patients from a previous RCT—PsicAP— with emotional symptoms who achieved a reliable recovery versus and those who did not after transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural therapy (TD-CBT) plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Sociodemographic and cost data were obtained for 134 participants treated at five primary care centres in Madrid for the 12-month post-treatment period. Reliable recovery rates were higher in the patients who received TD-CBT+TAU versus TAU alone (66% versus 34%; chi-square= 13.78; df=1; p< .001). Patients who did not achieve reliable recovery incurred in more costs, especially associated with GP consultations (t=3.01; df=132; p=.003), use of emergency departments (t= 2.20; df= 132; p=.030), total health care costs (t=2.01; df=132; p=.040), and sick leaves (t=1.97; df=132; p=.048). These findings underscore the societal importance of achieving a reliable recovery in patients with emotional disorders, and further support the value of adding TD-CBT to TAU in the primary care setting.