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Cost of therapies

What are the costs involved in treating bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is one of the leading causes of disability due to having a mental illness. A range of pharmacological and psychological interventions are effective in the management and prevention of acute episodes of bipolar disorder. However, these incur considerable costs, as well as productivity losses due to time off work. This topic presents the economic cost-effectiveness of psychosocial treatments in Purchasing Power Parity – International dollar (PPP-INT$), which is comparable to what the US dollar would buy in the United States.

What is the evidence for psychosocial treatment costs?

Moderate to low quality evidence finds the cost of the Bipolar Disorders Program is around PPP-INT$3,879 per person, a group structured psychoeducation is around PPP-INT$1,727 per person, a hospital-based psychosocial care plus lithium or valproic acid is around PPP-INT$1,091 to PPP-INT$9,627 per person, a community-based psychosocial care plus lithium or valproic acid is around PPP-INT$719 to PPP-INT$5,599 per person, a Joint Crisis Plan is around PPP-INT$2,286 per person, a specialized out-patient clinic of pharmacological, psychotherapy, and group psychoeducation costs around PPP-INT$4,036 per person, cognitive behavioural therapy costs around PPP-INT$2,881 per person, structured psychoeducation costs around PPP-INT$5,626 per person, and a multicomponent psychoeducation and support intervention costs around PPP-INT$1,846 per person. All of these interventions were cheaper in the long-term compared to standard care as they reduced hospitalisation costs.

November 2021

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Last updated at: 5:03 pm, 2nd November 2021
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Title Colour Legend:
Green - Topic summary is available.
Orange - Topic summary is being compiled.
Red - Topic summary has no current systematic review available.