title: The non-medical out-of-pocket costs to attend a free anxiety disorders treatment clinic in Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Australia has high out-of-pocket costs for medical and non-medical treatments. The 'cost to attend' is seldom added to these estimates.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sequence of 92 participants attending a free Anxiety Disorders Clinic at an inner city public hospital were surveyed about the costs to attend one appointment, including costs such as private /public transport costs and lost income.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that these out-of-pocket costs were on average AUD$57 per person to attend an appointment at a free point-of-service clinic. Of the 45% who experienced financial burden from attending, the majority reported only slight burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This level of 'cost to attend' a free outpatient treatment clinic is non-trivial given people with anxiety and depressive disorders, like many others with chronic disorders, will need at least 6-10 visits to complete a course of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Reece
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, School of Psychiatry University of New South Wales at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, School of Psychiatry University of New South Wales at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia j.newby@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Newby
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D001315:Australia; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013222:State Medicine / Q000191:economics; D014186:Transportation / Q000191:economics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Out-of-pocket costs; cost to attend; non-medical costs