Determinants of direct and indirect costs in anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate direct and indirect costs of anorexia nervosa (AN), and to identify cost determinants. METHODS: In a subsample (n = 225) of the ANTOP trial (Anorexia Nervosa Treatment of OutPatients) health care utilization and productivity losses were assessed at baseline for the previous 3 months and monetarily valued. Included were females aged 18 years and older diagnosed with AN or subsyndromal AN, and a body mass index (BMI) between 15 and 18.5 kg/m(2) . To account for missing data multiple imputation was employed. Cost determinants were derived from generalized linear models with gamma distribution and log link function. RESULTS: Mean 3-months costs per patient amounted to €5,866 (SE = €576). The largest share of costs (€3,374) resulted from hospitalizations. Determinants of direct costs were analyzed separately for those with hospitalizations for AN, and those without. In the group only treated as outpatients, participants with binge/purge subtype, and those diseased for more than 6 years had higher costs. Moreover, costs were increased in patients with a comorbid mental disorder. In the group with hospitalizations, direct costs increased with BMI. BMI was measured at the end of the observation period, indicating that longer duration of treatment yielded higher weight gain. Indirect costs were not significantly associated with any disease-related characteristic. DISCUSSION: Costs resulting from health care utilization and productivity loss are substantial, although the sample studied had not received sufficient treatment. Future research should analyze the development of costs over time.

The costs of social anxiety disorder: the role of symptom severity and comorbidities.

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with low direct costs compared to other anxiety disorders while indirect costs tend to be high. Mental comorbidities have been identified to increase costs, but the role of symptom severity is still vague. The objective of this study was to determine the costs of SAD, and to explore the impact of symptoms and comorbidities on direct and indirect costs. METHODS: Baseline data, collected within the SOPHO-NET multi-centre treatment study (N=495), were used. Costs were calculated based on health care utilization and lost productivity. Symptom severity was measured with the Liebowitz-Social-Anxiety-Scale; comorbidities were included as covariates. RESULTS: Total 6-month costs were accrued to €4802; 23% being direct costs. While there was no significant association with SAD symptom severity for direct costs, costs of absenteeism increased with symptom severity in those with costs >0; comorbid affective disorders and eating disorders had an additional effect. Self-rated productivity was lower with more pronounced symptoms even after controlling for comorbidities. LIMITATIONS: As the study was based on a clinical sample total costs were considered, rather than net costs of SAD and no population costs could be calculated. DISCUSSION: The burden associated with lost productivity was considerable while costs of healthcare utilization were rather low as most patients had not sought for treatment before. Efforts to identify patients with SAD earlier and to provide adequate treatment should be further increased. Mental comorbidities should be addressed as well, since they account for a large part of indirect costs associated with SAD.

[Determinants of direct cost in schizophrenia patients with persistent positive symptoms]. / Determinanten direkter Kosten bei persistierender Positivsymptomatik psychotischer Erkrankungen.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze direct costs and cost determinants in psychotic patients with persistent positive symptoms (PPS). METHODS: A total of 330 patients with PPS were recruited via 6 university clinics and interviewed about service utilization in the previous 3 months. After monetary valuation, costs were analyzed via generalized linear mixed models with gamma distribution and log-link function to identify determinants of direct costs. RESULTS: The mean costs were 7,065 € and resulted predominantly from psychiatric hospital care (63 %), assisted living (17 %) and complementary services (8 %). We found statistically significant associations between direct costs and an increasing score of the negative subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (+ 2,484 € per point, p < 0.001) and experiencing less than one social contact per week (- 2,272 €, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: PPS incurred substantial direct costs which primarily resulted from hospital treatment, and were strongly associated with symptom severity.

Sick leave days and costs associated with overweight and obesity in Germany.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of body mass index on sick leave days and related costs in Germany. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of German Socio-Economic Panel data (n = 7990). The relationship between body mass index class and sick leave days was analyzed via analyses of variance (ANOVA) (bivariate) and zero-inflated negative binomial regression models (multivariate). RESULTS: Body mass index was positively associated with annual sick leave days in the bivariate analysis (P < 0.001). In the fully adjusted zero-inflated negative binomial, overweight women had 3.64, obese women 5.19, and obese men 3.48 excess sick leave days in 2009 (vs normal weight), while excess sick leave days of overweight men were not statistically significant. The extrapolated excess costs in the German working population amount to &OV0556;2.18 billion (base case). CONCLUSIONS: The absenteeism-related lost productivity costs associated with excess weight are formidable and emphasize the persistent need for health promotion efforts in Germany.

Predictors of costs in dementia in a longitudinal perspective.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse predictors of costs in dementia from a societal perspective in a longitudinal setting. METHOD: Healthcare resource use and costs were assessed retrospectively using a questionnaire in four waves at 6-month intervals in a sample of dementia patients (N = 175). Sociodemographic data, dementia severity and comorbidity at baseline, cognitive impairment and impairment in basic and instrumental activities of daily living were also recorded. Linear mixed regression models with random intercepts for individuals were used to analyse predictors of total and sector-specific costs. RESULTS: Impairment in activities of daily living significantly predicted total costs in dementia patients, with associations between basic activities of daily living and formal care costs on the one and instrumental activities of daily living and informal care costs on the other hand. Nursing home residence was associated with lower total costs than residence in the community. There was no effect of cognition on total or sector-specific costs. CONCLUSION: Cognitive deficits in dementia are associated with costs only via their effect on the patients' capacity for activities of daily living. Transition into a nursing home may reduce total costs from a societal perspective, owing to the fact that a high amount of informal care required by severely demented patients prior to transition into a nursing home may cause higher costs than inpatient nursing care.

Cost-of-illness studies and cost-effectiveness analyses in eating disorders: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To review cost-of-illness studies (COIs) and cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) of eating disorders (EDs) and to describe their methodological quality. METHOD: A systematic literature search was done. Search results passed through a selection process, included studies were classified as COIs, CEAs, or "other cost studies" (OCS). Costs were inflated and converted to 2008 US$ purchasing power parities (PPP). Quality criteria were developed and applied to each study. RESULTS: Five COI, two CEA, and eleven "OCS" were reviewed. Most studies focused on anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Annual costs per patient ranged from 1,288 to 8,042 US$-PPP. All interventions, investigated in CEA, were more effective and less costly than the alternative treatments. DISCUSSION: The number of publications investigating costs in EDs has increased recently. However, no COI provided a comprehensive estimate of costs, and the comparability of CEA was limited. Nonetheless, the results indicate that the costs arising from EDs are substantial.