title: Cost-effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression: current evidence and future research priorities.
abstract: Depression is a common psychiatric disorder. Although a variety of antidepressant medications have been shown to be effective, psychological therapies are highly valued by patients and some (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy) may be as clinically effective as antidepressants. Given similar clinical effectiveness, issues of differences in costs between cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication treatments and other approaches to mental healthcare are important. The current article discusses issues relating to the evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression, reviews current empirical evidence concerning cost-effectiveness and highlights key issues for future research.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Economics of Mental Health, Box PO24, David Goldberg Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. s.byford@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Byford
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bower