title: Cost implications of specific and non-specific treatment for young persons at ultra high risk of developing a first episode of psychosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Costs associated with mental health treatment for young persons at 'ultra' high risk (UHR) of developing a psychotic disorder have not previously been reported. This paper reports cost implications of providing psychological and pharmacological intervention for individuals at UHR for psychosis compared with minimal psychological treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mental health service costs associated with a randomized controlled trial of two treatments (Specific Preventive Intervention: SPI and Needs-Based Intervention: NBI) for UHR young persons were estimated and compared at three time points: treatment phase, short-term follow up and medium-term follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the SPI group incurred significantly higher treatment costs than the NBI group over the treatment phase, they incurred significantly lower outpatient treatment costs over the longer term.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that specific interventions designed to treat young persons who are identified as being at UHR of psychosis might be associated with some cost savings compared with non-specific interventions.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Orygen Health Research Centre, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia. lisajp@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.forename: Cathrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mihalopoulos
authors.forename: Sophy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Patrick D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McGorry
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000191:economics; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents