title: Costs and benefits of behavioural psychotherapy: a pilot study of neurotics treated by nurse-therapists.
abstract: A pilot study is reported of costs and benefits from behavioural psychotherapy by nurse-therapists for selected neurotic problems. Figures are based on the treatment of 42 neurotics (mainly phobics and obsessive-compulsives) who completed treatment with nurse-therapists in a mean of 9 sessions (16 hours). The year before and after treatment was studied. Apart from significant and lasting reduction in patients' distress, economic benefits to them, their families and the community yielded a worthwhile internal rate of return when benefits from the cohort continue for 3 years, a reasonable assumption on available other evidence. Though untreated phobics did not improve elsewhere over 5 years follow-up, a controlled study would seem desirable.
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000359:Aftercare; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003193:Compulsive Personality Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000628:therapy; D012917:Social Adjustment