title: Cost-effectiveness of child-focused and parent-focused interventions in a child anxiety prevention program.
abstract: In this study, the cost-effectiveness of three indicated anxiety prevention strategies was examined from a societal perspective. Children (aged 8-12) were recruited via primary schools, selecting children scoring as high-anxious on an anxiety screening questionnaire. Participating children and their parents were randomized to a child--a parent-focused, or non-intervention group. All groups completed a diagnostic interview and standardized cost-diaries at pretest, and 1- and 2-year follow-up. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios per 'ADIS improved' child (based on diagnostic information) were calculated and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves and frontiers were plotted. The base-case and most secondary analyses showed it would be cost-effective to offer high-anxious children an intervention, and the parent-focused intervention to be the optimal strategy at lower monetary threshold values than the child-focused intervention and when parents were anxious. The child-focused intervention was dominant when analyses were performed from a healthcare perspective, for boys, and for children of grades 7-8 of primary school.
authors.affiliation: Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. e.simon@mail.com
authors.forename: Ellin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dirksen
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bögels
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bodden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015397:Program Evaluation
chemical_list: D002792:Cholestyramine Resin