Cost of treatment of schizophrenia in six European countries.
OBJECTIVE
As part of an RCT in six European sites, the direct mental health care cost for 422 patients with schizophrenia was analysed according to how total and medication costs differed across sites and which variables were likely to predict total or service-specific costs.


METHODS
Service use was recorded continuously during a 12-month follow-up. Prescribed psychotropic medication was recorded at baseline and 12 months later. Service use data were transformed into EURO, log-transformed and analysed using linear regression models.


RESULTS
Although samples were homogeneous, large inter-site cost differences were found (annual means ranging from 2958 euro in Spain up to 36978 euro in Switzerland). Psychopharmacologic costs were much more constant across sites than costs for other services. Total costs were associated more with region or socio-demographic characteristics than with disorder related parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings confirm remarkable differences in direct costs of patients with schizophrenia across Europe. However, the relative stability of medication costs suggests a need to analyse mechanisms that influence service-specific costs for schizophrenia.
Salize
Hans Joachim
HJ
Mental Health Services Research Unit, Central Institute of Mental Health, J 5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany. hans-Joachim.salize@zi-mannheim.de
McCabe
Rosemarie
R
Bullenkamp
Jens
J
Hansson
Lars
L
Lauber
Christoph
C
Martinez-Leal
Rafael
R
Reinhard
Iris
I
Rössler
Wulf
W
Svensson
Bengt
B
Torres-Gonzalez
Francisco
F
van den Brink
Rob
R
Wiersma
Durk
D
Priebe
Stefan
S
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005060:Europe; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D016014:Linear Models; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents