Health service utilization costs for borderline personality disorder patients treated with psychoanalytically oriented partial hospitalization versus general psychiatric care.
OBJECTIVE
The authors assessed health care costs associated with psychoanalytically oriented partial hospital treatment for borderline personality disorder compared with treatment as usual within general psychiatric services.


METHODS
Health care utilization of all borderline personality disorder patients who participated in a previous trial of partial hospital treatment compared with treatment as usual was assessed by using information from case notes and service providers. Costs were compared for the 6 months before treatment, 18 months of treatment, and an 18-month follow-up period.


RESULTS
There were no cost differences between the groups during pretreatment or treatment. Costs of partial hospital treatment were offset by less psychiatric inpatient care and reduced emergency room treatment. The trend for costs to decrease in the partial hospitalization group during the follow-up period was not apparent in the treatment-as-usual group.


CONCLUSIONS
Specialist partial hospital treatment for borderline personality disorder is no more expensive than treatment as usual and shows considerable cost savings after treatment.
Bateman
Anthony
A
Halliwick Day Unit, St. Ann's Hospital, St. Ann's Road, London N15 3TH, UK. anthony@abate.org.uk
Fonagy
Peter
P
D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000191:economics*; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000191:economics*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000191:economics*; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D014600:Utilization Review
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs