Abstract
Background
There is an urgent need for the development of cost-effective preventive strategies to reduce the onset of mental disorders.
Aims
To establish the cost-effectiveness of a stepped care preventive intervention for depression and anxiety disorders in older people at high risk of these conditions, compared with routine primary care.
Method
An economic evaluation was conducted alongside a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN26474556). Consenting individuals presenting with subthreshold levels of depressive or anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to a preventive stepped care programme (n = 86) or to routine primary care (n = 84).
Results
The intervention was successful in halving the incidence rate of depression and anxiety at 563 (£412) per recipient and 4367 (£3196) per disorder-free year gained, compared with routine primary care. The latter would represent good value for money if the willingness to pay for a disorder-free year is at least 5000.
Conclusions
The prevention programme generated depression- and anxiety-free survival years in the older population at affordable cost.
There is an urgent need for the development of cost-effective preventive strategies to reduce the onset of mental disorders.
Aims
To establish the cost-effectiveness of a stepped care preventive intervention for depression and anxiety disorders in older people at high risk of these conditions, compared with routine primary care.
Method
An economic evaluation was conducted alongside a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN26474556). Consenting individuals presenting with subthreshold levels of depressive or anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to a preventive stepped care programme (n = 86) or to routine primary care (n = 84).
Results
The intervention was successful in halving the incidence rate of depression and anxiety at 563 (£412) per recipient and 4367 (£3196) per disorder-free year gained, compared with routine primary care. The latter would represent good value for money if the willingness to pay for a disorder-free year is at least 5000.
Conclusions
The prevention programme generated depression- and anxiety-free survival years in the older population at affordable cost.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 319-325 |
| Journal | British journal of psychiatry |
| Volume | 196 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |