Racial-Ethnic Differences in Receipt of Past-Year Health Care Services Among Suicide Decedents: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide remains an urgent public health crisis. Although some sociodemographic characteristics are associated with greater suicide risk in the general population, it is unclear whether individuals utilizing health care in the United States have similar suicide incidence patterns. The authors examined whether race-ethnicity is associated with suicide death among patients seeking health care and investigated health care utilization patterns. METHODS: Data were collected from electronic health records and government mortality records for patients seeking health care across nine health care systems in the United States. Patients who died by suicide (N=1,935) were matched with patients in a control group (N=19,350) within each health care system. RESULTS: Patients who died by suicide were significantly more likely to be White, older, male, living in low-education areas, living in rural areas, or diagnosed as having mental health conditions or were significantly less likely to have commercial insurance (p<0.05). Among most racial-ethnic groups, those who died by suicide had a higher number of past-year mental health, primary care, and total health care visits; for American Indian/Alaska Native patients, the number of health care visits tended to be lower among suicide decedents. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that higher past-year health care utilization was associated with increased likelihood of suicide death across several racial-ethnic groups. This observation underscores the need for identifying and managing suicide risk in health care settings, including outside of mental health visits, among most racial-ethnic groups.

Association Between Adverse Social Determinants of Health and Suicide Death.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify adverse social determinants of health (SDoH) International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code prevalence among individuals who died by suicide and to examine associations between documented adverse SDoH and suicide. RESEARCH DESIGN: A case-control study using linked medical record, insurance claim, and mortality data from 2000 to 2015 obtained from 9 Mental Health Research Network-affiliated health systems. We included 3330 individuals who died by suicide and 333,000 randomly selected controls matched on index year and health system location. All individuals in the study (cases and controls) had at least 10 months of enrollment before the study index date. The index date for the study for each case and their matched controls was the suicide date for that given case. RESULTS: Adverse SDoH documentation was low; only 6.6% of cases had ≥1 documented adverse SDoH in the year before suicide. Any documented SDoH and several specific adverse SDoH categories were more frequent among cases than controls. Any documented adverse SDoH was associated with higher suicide odds [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.76; 95% CI: 2.38-3.20], as was family alcoholism/drug addiction (aOR=18.23; 95% CI: 8.54-38.92), being an abuse victim/perpetrator (aOR=2.53; 95% CI: 1.99-3.21), other primary support group problems (aOR=1.91; 95% CI: 1.32-2.75), employment/occupational maladjustment problems (aOR=8.83; 95% CI: 5.62-13.87), housing/economic problems (aOR: 6.41; 95% CI: 4.47-9.19), legal problems (aOR=27.30; 95% CI: 12.35-60.33), and other psychosocial problems (aOR=2.58; 95% CI: 1.98-3.36). CONCLUSIONS: Although documented SDoH prevalence was low, several adverse SDoH were associated with increased suicide odds, supporting calls to increase SDoH documentation in medical records. This will improve understanding of SDoH prevalence and assist in identification and intervention among individuals at high suicide risk.

Assessing the differential item functioning of PHQ-9 items for diverse racial and ethnic adults with mental health and/or substance use disorder diagnoses: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Improving health equity in depression care and suicide screening requires that measures like the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) function similarly for diverse racial and ethnic groups. We evaluated PHQ-9 differential item functioning (DIF) between racial/ethnic groups in a retrospective cohort study of secondary electronic health record (EHR) data from eight healthcare systems. METHODS: The population (n = 755,156) included patients aged 18-64 with mental health and/or substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses who had a PHQ-9 with no missing item data in the EHR for primary care or mental health visits between 1/1/2009-9/30/2017. We drew two random samples of 1000 from the following racial/ethnic groups originally recorded in EHRs (n = 14,000): Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White, Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, multiracial. We assessed DIF using iterative hybrid ordinal logistic regression and item response theory with p < 0.01 and 1000 Monte Carlo simulations, where change in model R2 > 0.01 represented non-negligible (e.g., clinically meaningful) DIF. RESULTS: All PHQ-9 items displayed statistically significant, but negligible (e.g., clinically unmeaningful) DIF between compared groups. The negligible DIF varied between random samples, although six items showed negligible DIF between the same comparison groups in both random samples. LIMITATIONS: Our findings may not generalize to disaggregated racial/ethnic groups or persons without mental health and/or SUD diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: We found the PHQ-9 had clinically unmeaningful cross-cultural DIF for adult patients with mental health and/or SUD diagnoses. Future research could disaggregate race/ethnicity to discern if within-group identification impacts PHQ-9 DIF.

A framework for measuring the cost to families of caring for children's health: the design, methodology, and study population of the r-Kids study.

BACKGROUND: All families experience financial and time costs related to caring for their children's health. Understanding the economic burden faced by families of children with chronic health conditions (CHC) is crucial for designing effective policies to support families. METHODS: In this prospective study we used electronic health records to identify children between 3 and 17 years old with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), asthma, or neither (control) from three Kaiser Permanente regions and several community health centers in the OCHIN network. We oversampled children from racial and ethnic minority groups. Parent/guardian respondents completed surveys three times, approximately four months apart. The surveys included the Family Economic Impact Inventory (measuring financial, time, and employment costs of caring for a child's health), and standardized measures of children's quality of life, behavioral problems, and symptom severity for children with ASD or asthma. We also assessed parenting stress and parent physical and mental health. All materials were provided in English and Spanish. RESULTS: Of the 1,461 families that enrolled (564 ASD, 468 asthma, 429 control), children were predominantly male (79%), with a mean age of 9.0 years, and racially and ethnically diverse (43% non-Hispanic white; 22% Hispanic; 35% Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian, or another race/ethnicity). The majority of survey respondents were female (86%), had a college degree (62%), and were married/partnered (79%). ASD group respondents were less likely to be employed (73%) than those in the asthma or control groups (both 80%; p = .023). Only 32% of the control group reported a household income ≤ $4,000/month compared with 41% of asthma and 38% of ASD families (p = .006). CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing a novel measure assessing family economic burden, we successfully collected survey responses from a large and diverse sample of families. Drawing upon the conceptual framework, survey measures, and self-report data described herein we will conduct future analyses to examine the economic burdens related to CHC and the incremental differences in these burdens between health groups. This information will help policy makers to design more equitable health and social policies that could reduce the burden on families.

Promoting Racial/Ethnic Equity in Psychosocial Treatment Outcomes for Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Depression.

Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent and least treated pediatric mental health problems. Racial/ethnic minority youths face greater risks for developing anxiety and depression and experience higher burden as they are less likely to receive adequate mental health services for these conditions or to have their needs met. Further, standard evidence-based interventions for youth anxiety and depression may show diminished effects with racial/ethnic minority youths and with families of lower socioeconomic status. While community-level interventions to combat structural racism and reduce population-level risk are sorely needed, many youths will continue to require acute treatment services for anxiety and depression and interventionists must understand how to bring equity to the forefront of care. In this review, we adopt a health system framework to examine racial/ethnic disparities in system-, intervention-, provider-, and patient-level factors for psychosocial treatment of pediatric anxiety and depression. Current evidence on disparities in access and in efficacy of psychosocial intervention for anxious and depressed youths is summarized, and we use our work in primary care as a case example of adapting an intervention to mitigate disparities and increase equity. We conclude with recommendations for disparity action targets at each level of the health system framework and provide example strategies for intervening on these mechanisms to improve the outcomes of racial/ethnic minority youths.

Cost-effectiveness frameworks for comparing genome and exome sequencing versus conventional diagnostic pathways: A scoping review and recommended methods.

PURPOSE: Methodological challenges have limited economic evaluations of genome sequencing (GS) and exome sequencing (ES). Our objective was to develop conceptual frameworks for model-based cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) of diagnostic GS/ES. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of economic analyses to develop and iterate with experts a set of conceptual CEA frameworks for GS/ES for prenatal testing, early diagnosis in pediatrics, diagnosis of delayed-onset disorders in pediatrics, genetic testing in cancer, screening of newborns, and general population screening. RESULTS: Reflecting on 57 studies meeting inclusion criteria, we recommend the following considerations for each clinical scenario. For prenatal testing, performing comparative analyses of costs of ES strategies and postpartum care, as well as genetic diagnoses and pregnancy outcomes. For early diagnosis in pediatrics, modeling quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs over ≥20 years for rapid turnaround GS/ES. For hereditary cancer syndrome testing, modeling cumulative costs and QALYs for the individual tested and first/second/third-degree relatives. For tumor profiling, not restricting to treatment uptake or response and including QALYs and costs of downstream outcomes. For screening, modeling lifetime costs and QALYs and considering consequences of low penetrance and GS/ES reanalysis. CONCLUSION: Our frameworks can guide the design of model-based CEAs and ultimately foster robust evidence for the economic value of GS/ES.

Detecting and distinguishing indicators of risk for suicide using clinical records.

Health systems are essential for suicide risk detection. Most efforts target people with mental health (MH) diagnoses, but this only represents half of the people who die by suicide. This study seeks to discover and validate health indicators of suicide death among those with, and without, MH diagnoses. This case-control study used statistical modeling with health record data on diagnoses, procedures, and encounters. The study included 3,195 individuals who died by suicide from 2000 to 2015 and 249,092 randomly selected matched controls, who were age 18+ and affiliated with nine Mental Health Research Network affiliated health systems. Of the 202 indicators studied, 170 (84%) were associated with suicide in the discovery cohort, with 148 (86%) of those in the validation cohort. Malignant cancer diagnoses were risk factors for suicide in those without MH diagnoses, and multiple individual psychiatric-related indicators were unique to the MH subgroup. Protective effects across MH-stratified models included diagnoses of benign neoplasms, respiratory infections, and utilization of reproductive services. MH-stratified latent class models validated five subgroups with distinct patterns of indicators in both those with and without MH. The highest risk groups were characterized via high utilization with multiple healthcare concerns in both groups. The lowest risk groups were characterized as predominantly young, female, and high utilizers of preventive services. Healthcare data include many indicators of suicide risk for those with and without MH diagnoses, which may be used to support the identification and understanding of risk as well as targeting of prevention in health systems.

Understanding the Relationship Between Depression Symptom Severity and Health Care Costs for Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression.

Objective: To examine whether measures of depression symptom severity could improve understanding of health care costs for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) or treatment-resistant depression (TRD) from the health plan perspective.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study within an integrated health system, cohorts consisted of 2 mutually exclusive groups: (1) adults with TRD based on a standard treatment algorithm and (2) adults with MDD, but no TRD, identified through ICD-9/10-CM codes. Depression severity was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Patterns of health care resource utilization (HRU) and costs were compared between the TRD and MDD groups overall and within the groups at different symptom levels. A general linear model with a γ distribution and log link for cost outcomes, logistic regression for binary outcomes, and negative binomial regression for count outcomes were used.Results: Patients with TRD (n = 24,534) had greater comorbidity than those in the MDD group (n = 17,628). Mean age in the TRD group was 52.8 years versus 48.2 for MDD (P < .001). Both groups were predominantly female (TRD: 72.8% vs MDD: 66.9%; P < .001). Overall, the TRD group had greater costs than the MDD group, with 1.23 times (95% CI, 1.21-1.26; P < .001) greater total cost on average over 1 year following index date. Within both groups, those with severe symptoms had greater total mean (SD) costs (TRD: moderate: $12,429 [$23,900] vs severe: $13,344 [$22,895], P < .001; low: $12,220 [$31,864] vs severe: $13,344 [$22,895], P < .001; MDD: moderate: $8,899 [$20,755] vs severe: $10,098 [$22,853]; P < .001; low: $8,752 [$25,800] vs severe: $10,098 [$22,853], P < .001).Conclusions: MDD and TRD impose high costs for health systems, with increasing costs as PHQ-9 symptom severity rises. Better understanding of subgroups with different symptom levels could improve clinical care by helping target interventions.

Understanding Health Need and Services Received by Youth in Foster Care in Community Safety-Net Health Centers in Oregon.

Youth in foster care have significant unmet health needs. We assessed health needs and health service use among youth in foster care in Oregon using electronic health record data from 258 community health centers and Medicaid enrollment data from 2014-2016. We identified 2,140 youth in foster care and a matched comparison group of 6,304 youth from the same clinics who were not in foster care, and compared the groups on demographic characteristics, health needs, and health service use. Youth in foster care were significantly more likely to have at least one chronic health condition, at least one mental health condition, and at least one mental health service compared with controls. Youth in foster care were significantly less likely to have a primary care visit. Despite significant mental health needs among youth in foster care, few received mental health care; this lack was greater among African American and Hispanic youth.

Cost-effectiveness of Brief Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Anxiety and Depression in Primary Care.

Importance: Youth anxiety and depression are common and undertreated. Pediatric transdiagnostic interventions for anxiety and/or depression may be associated with improved access to treatment among youths. Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a pediatric transdiagnostic brief behavioral therapy (BBT) program for anxiety and/or depression compared with assisted referral to community outpatient mental health care (ARC). Design, Setting, and Participants: In this economic evaluation, an incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was performed from the societal perspective using data from a randomized clinical trial of youths with full or probable diagnoses of anxiety or depression who were recruited from pediatric clinics in San Diego, California, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The trial was conducted from October 6, 2010, through December 5, 2014, and this analysis was performed from January 1, 2019, through October 20, 2020. Interventions: In the randomized clinical trial, youths were randomized to BBT (n = 95) or ARC (n = 90). The BBT program consisted of 8 to 12 weekly 45-minute sessions of behavioral therapy delivered in pediatric clinics by master's-level therapists. Families randomized to ARC received personalized referrals to mental health care and telephone calls to support access to care. Main Outcomes and Measures: Anxiety-free days, depression-free days, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and costs based on incremental cost-effectiveness ratios from intake through 32-week follow-up. A cost-effectiveness acceptability curve for QALYs was used to assess the probability that BBT was cost-effective compared with ARC over a range of amounts that a decision-maker might be willing to pay for an additional outcome. Results: Enrolled patients included 185 youths (mean [SD] age, 11.3 [2.6] years; 107 [57.8%] female; 144 [77.8%] White; and 38 [20.7%] Hispanic). Youths who received BBT experienced significantly more anxiety-free days (difference, 28.63 days; 95% CI, 5.86-50.71 days; P = .01) and QALYs (difference, 0.026; 95% CI, 0.009-0.046; P = .007) compared with youths who received ARC. Youths who received BBT experienced more depression-free days than did youths who received ARC (difference, 10.52 days; 95% CI, -4.50 to 25.76 days; P = .18), but the difference was not statistically significant. The mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was -$41 414 per QALY (95% CI, -$220 601 to $11 468). The cost-effectiveness acceptability curve analysis indicated that, at a recommended willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000 per QALY, the probability that BBT would be cost-effective compared with ARC at 32 weeks was 95.6%. Conclusions and Relevance: In this economic evaluation, BBT in primary care was significantly associated with better outcomes and a greater probability of cost-effectiveness at 32 weeks compared with ARC. The findings suggest that transdiagnostic BBT may be associated with improved youth anxiety and functioning at a reasonable cost.

The ReThink study: a 3-arm parallel randomized trial of cognitive bias modification, with and without adherence promotion, for adolescent anxiety disorder: trial design and protocol.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem among youth, contribute to reduced quality of daily life, and are associated with high rates of comorbidity. However, treatment rates for anxiety are very low, causing a sizeable treatment gap. There is an immediate need to identify treatment interventions that are effective, affordable, and can be delivered easily to the youth population. Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) is one potentially effective intervention that could reach youth on a large scale, especially when self-administered at home. Thus, we aim to assess the benefit of CBM to treat youth anxiety. Further, we aim to test whether adding an adherence promotion (AP) component to the CBM intervention can improve outcomes, and whether CBM delivered both with and without the AP component is cost effective. METHODS: This is a 12-month randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted within an existing healthcare system. Potentially eligible youth (ages 12 to 17) will be identified by reviewing the electronic health record (EHR) for clinical anxiety diagnoses, which are then confirmed via research interview. We aim to enroll 498 participants and randomize them 1:1:1 to one of three arms: Arm 1 is a Low-Ratio version of the CBM program (nearly identical to the other CBM versions, but minimally effective); Arm 2 is a High-Ratio "active" CBM program; and Arm 3 is the High-Ratio CBM program with an added AP component. Participants will complete assessments at baseline, 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-months post-baseline. Youth in all three arms will self-administer the CBM program at home and will be asked to complete twelve intervention sessions over a four-week period. Arm 3 participants (High-Ratio CBM + AP) will also receive up to four telephone calls from phone coaches during the intervention period to provide technical assistance, encouragement, and motivational enhancement to increase adherence. The primary clinical outcome will be anxiety remission at 6-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: This study protocol describes the method and design for an RCT to test whether self-administered CBM both with and without adherence promotion can be an effective at-home treatment for anxious youth. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT02156531, First Posted June 5, 2014.

Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing Depression Among At-Risk Youths: Postintervention and 2-Year Follow-Up.

OBJECTIVE: Youth depression can be prevented, yet few programs are offered. Decision makers lack cost information. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral prevention program (CBP) versus usual care. METHODS: A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted with data from a randomized controlled trial of 316 youths, ages 13-17, randomly assigned to CBP or usual care. Youths were at risk of depression because of a prior depressive disorder or subthreshold depressive symptoms, or both, and had parents with a prior or current depressive disorder. Outcomes included depression-free days (DFDs), quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and costs. RESULTS: Nine months after baseline assessment, youths in CBP experienced 12 more DFDs (p=.020) and .018 more QALYs (p=.007), compared with youths in usual care, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $24,558 per QALY. For youths whose parents were not depressed at baseline, CBP youths had 26 more DFDs (p=.001), compared with those in usual care (ICER=$10,498 per QALY). At 33 months postbaseline, youths in CBP had 40 more DFDs (p=.05) (ICER=$12,787 per QALY). At 33 months, CBP youths whose parents were not depressed at baseline had 91 more DFDs (p=.001) (ICER=$13,620 per QALY). For youths with a currently depressed parent at baseline, CBP was not significantly more effective than usual care at either 9 or 33 months, and costs were higher. CONCLUSIONS: CBP produced significantly better outcomes than usual care and was particularly cost-effective for youths whose parents were not depressed at baseline. Depression prevention programs could improve youths' health at a reasonable cost; services to treat depressed parents may also be warranted.

The Child and Adolescent Services Assessment: Interrater Reliability and Predictors of Rater Disagreement.

The current study evaluated the interrater reliability of the Child and Adolescent Services Assessment (CASA), a widely used structured interview measuring pediatric mental health service use. Interviews (N = 72) were randomly selected from a pediatric effectiveness trial, and audio was coded by an independent rater. Regressions were employed to identify predictors of rater disagreement. Interrater reliability was high for items (> 94%) and summary metrics (ICC > .79) across service sectors. Predictors of disagreement varied by domain; significant predictors indexed higher clinical severity or social disadvantage. Results support the CASA as a reliable and robust assessment of pediatric service use, but administrators should be alert when assessing vulnerable populations.

Time Costs for Genetic Counseling in Preconception Carrier Screening with Genome Sequencing.

Advances in technology and the promise of personalized health care are driving greater use of genome sequencing (GS) for a variety of clinical scenarios. As health systems consider adopting GS, they need to understand the impact of GS on the organization and cost of care. While research has documented a dramatic decrease in the cost of sequencing and interpreting GS, few studies have examined how GS impacts genetic counseling workloads. This study examined the time needed to provide genetic counseling for GS in the context of preconception carrier screening. Genetic counselors prospectively reported on the time spent in the results disclosure process with 107 study participants who were part of the NextGen study. We found that the median time for results disclosure was 64 min (ranged from 5 to 229 min). Preparation work was the most time-consuming activity. Qualitative data from journal entries, debrief interviews with genetic counselors, and detailed case conference notes provided information on factors influencing time for results disclosure and implications for practice. Results suggest that expanded carrier screening could require significant increases in genetic counseling time, unless we are able to generate new resources to reduce preparation work or develop other strategies such as the creation of new models to deliver this type of service.

Cost-effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depressed Youth Declining Antidepressants.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adolescents with depression identified in primary care settings often have limited treatment options beyond antidepressant (AD) therapy. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of a brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program among depressed adolescents who declined or quickly stopped using ADs. METHODS: A total of 212 youth with depression were randomly assigned to treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU plus brief individual CBT. Clinical outcomes included depression-free days (DFDs) and estimated quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Costs were adjusted to 2008 US dollars. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) comparing CBT to TAU were calculated over 12- and 24-month follow-up periods. RESULTS: Youth randomly assigned to CBT had 26.8 more DFDs (P = .044) and 0.067 more QALYs (P = .044) on average compared with TAU over 12 months. Total costs were $4976 less (P = .025) by the end of the 24-month follow-up among youth randomly assigned to CBT. Total costs per DFD were -$51 (ICER = -$51; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -$394 to $9) at 12 months and -$115 (ICER = -$115; 95% CI: -$1090 to -$6) at 24 months. Total costs per QALY were -$20 282 (ICER = -$20 282; 95% CI: -$156 741 to $3617) at 12 months and -$45 792 (ICER = -$45 792; 95% CI: -$440 991 to -$2731) at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Brief primary care CBT among youth declining AD therapy is cost-effective by widely accepted standards in depression treatment. CBT becomes dominant over TAU over time, as revealed by a statistically significant cost offset at the end of the 2-year follow-up.

Cost Effectiveness of a School Readiness Intervention for Foster Children.

OBJECTIVE: Many young children in foster care suffer from emotional and behavior problems due to neglect and abuse. These problems can lead to difficulties in school, and functioning in school is linked to long-term health and development. Early intervention to reduce emotional and behavioral issues can help children successfully transition to school, which can improve long-term outcomes. However, communities need information on relative costs and benefits associated with programs to make informed choices. The objective of this study was to assess cost effectiveness, over 12 months, of the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) intervention compared to usual services available to children in a foster care control group (FCC). METHOD: Randomized controlled trial of 192 children in foster care entering kindergarten who were randomized to KITS (n = 102) or FCC (n = 90). KITS includes school readiness groups and parent training over 4 months. Main outcomes were days free from internalizing symptoms (IFD), days free from externalizing behavior (EFD), intervention costs, public agency costs, and incremental cost effectiveness. RESULTS: KITS significantly increased IFD and EFD compared to FCC. Average total cost of the intervention was $932 per family. The intervention did not significantly impact usual services. Average incremental cost effectiveness was $64 per IFD and $63 per EFD. CONCLUSIONS: The cost of KITS is comparable to, or less than, similar programs, and the intervention is likely to provide significant emotional and behavioral benefits and improvements in school readiness for young children in foster care.

Psychotropic Medication Use among Insured Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This study examined psychotropic medication use among 7901 children aged 1-17 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in five health systems, comparing to matched cohorts with no ASD. Nearly half (48.5 %) of children with ASD received psychotropics in the year observed; the most common classes were stimulants, alpha-agonists, or atomoxetine (30.2 %), antipsychotics (20.5 %), and antidepressants (17.8 %). Psychotropic treatment was far more prevalent among children with ASD, as compared to children with no ASD (7.7 % overall), even within strata defined by the presence or absence of other psychiatric diagnoses. The widespread use of psychotropics we observed, particularly given weak evidence supporting the effectiveness of these medications for most children with ASD, highlights challenges in ASD treatment and the need for greater investment in its evaluation.

Measuring Health-related Quality of Life in Teens With and Without Depression.

PURPOSE: To provide empirical evidence on the performance of common measures in assessing health-related quality of life (HRQL) in depressed and nondepressed youth. These measures can be used in research trials, cost-effectiveness studies, and to help develop policy for treating youth depression. BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the most common mental disorders among adolescents, with a chronic, episodic course marked by considerable impairment. Data on HRQL for teens with depression could more fully demonstrate the burden of depression and help to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of teen depression services, which in turn can be used to inform public and clinical policies. METHODS: We collected data on depression and HRQL from 392 depressed and nondepressed teens aged 13-17. RESULTS: Generic mental health, disease-specific, and generic preference-based measures of HRQL all do a reasonable job of distinguishing teens with and without depression and between teens with differing levels of depression. Generic mental health and disease-specific measures provide valuable information on burden of disease and perform well. For the purpose of economic evaluation, the HUI-3 and EQ-5D perform somewhat better than other preference-based measures. These results can aid future research on teens with depression by helping to guide which HRQL instruments are most useful in this population and can help to quantify the burden of depression in teens for policy and clinical planning.

Costs of care for persons with opioid dependence in commercial integrated health systems.

BACKGROUND: When used in general medical practices, buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid dependence, yet little is known about how use of buprenorphine affects the utilization and cost of health care in commercial health systems. METHODS: The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to examine how buprenorphine affects patterns of medical care, addiction medicine services, and costs from the health system perspective. Individuals with two or more opioid-dependence diagnoses per year, in two large health systems (System A: n = 1836; System B: n = 4204) over the time span 2007-2008 were included. Propensity scores were used to help adjust for group differences. RESULTS: Patients receiving buprenorphine plus addiction counseling had significantly lower total health care costs than patients with little or no addiction treatment (mean health care costs with buprenorphine treatment = $13,578; vs. mean health care costs with no addiction treatment = $31,055; p < .0001), while those receiving buprenorphine plus addiction counseling and those with addiction counseling only did not differ significantly in total health care costs (mean costs with counseling only: $17,017; p = .5897). In comparison to patients receiving buprenorphine plus counseling, those with little or no addiction treatment had significantly greater use of primary care (p < .001), other medical visits (p = .001), and emergency services (p = .020). Patients with counseling only (compared to patients with buprenorphine plus counseling) used less inpatient detoxification (p < .001), and had significantly more PC visits (p = .001), other medical visits (p = .005), and mental health visits (p = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Buprenorphine is a viable alternative to other treatment approaches for opioid dependence in commercial integrated health systems, with total costs of health care similar to abstinence-based counseling. Patients with buprenorphine plus counseling had reduced use of general medical services compared to the alternatives.

Use of antipsychotic medications in pediatric populations: what do the data say?

Recent reports of antipsychotic medication use in pediatric populations describe large increases in rates of use. Much interest in the increasing use has focused on potentially inappropriate prescribing for non-Food and Drug Administration-approved uses and use amongst youth with no mental health diagnosis. Different studies of antipsychotic use have used different time periods, geographic and insurance populations of youth, and aggregations of diagnoses. We review recent estimates of use and comment on the similarities and dissimilarities in rates of use. We also report new data obtained on 11 health maintenance organizations that are members of the Mental Health Research Network in order to update and extend the knowledge base on use by diagnostic indication. Results indicate that most use in pediatric populations is for disruptive behaviors and not psychotic disorders. Differences in estimates are likely a function of differences in methodology; however, there is remarkable consistency in estimates of use by diagnosis.