TY - JOUR
T1 - Direct health care costs of treating seasonal affective disorder
T2 - A comparison of light therapy and fluoxetine
AU - Cheung, Amy
AU - Dewa, Carolyn
AU - Michalak, Erin E.
AU - Browne, Gina
AU - Levitt, Anthony
AU - Levitan, Robert D.
AU - Enns, Murray W.
AU - Morehouse, Rachel L.
AU - Lam, Raymond W.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Objective. To compare the direct mental health care costs between individuals with Seasonal Affective Disorder randomized to either fluoxetine or light therapy. Methods. Data from the CANSAD study was used. CANSAD was an 8-week multicentre double-blind study that randomized participants to receive either light therapy plus placebo capsules or placebo light therapy plus fluoxetine. Participants were aged 18-65 who met criteria for major depressive episodes with a seasonal (winter) pattern. Mental health care service use was collected for each subject for 4 weeks prior to the start of treatment and for 4 weeks prior to the end of treatment. All direct mental health care services costs were analysed, including inpatient and outpatient services, investigations, and medications. Results. The difference in mental health costs was significantly higher after treatment for the light therapy group compared to the medication group - a difference of $111.25 (z = - 3.77, P = 0.000). However, when the amortized cost of the light box was taken into the account, the groups were switched with the fluoxetine group incurring greater direct care costs - a difference of $75.41 (z = - 2.635, P = 0.008). Conclusion. The results suggest that individuals treated with medication had significantly less mental health care cost after-treatment compared to those treated with light therapy.
AB - Objective. To compare the direct mental health care costs between individuals with Seasonal Affective Disorder randomized to either fluoxetine or light therapy. Methods. Data from the CANSAD study was used. CANSAD was an 8-week multicentre double-blind study that randomized participants to receive either light therapy plus placebo capsules or placebo light therapy plus fluoxetine. Participants were aged 18-65 who met criteria for major depressive episodes with a seasonal (winter) pattern. Mental health care service use was collected for each subject for 4 weeks prior to the start of treatment and for 4 weeks prior to the end of treatment. All direct mental health care services costs were analysed, including inpatient and outpatient services, investigations, and medications. Results. The difference in mental health costs was significantly higher after treatment for the light therapy group compared to the medication group - a difference of $111.25 (z = - 3.77, P = 0.000). However, when the amortized cost of the light box was taken into the account, the groups were switched with the fluoxetine group incurring greater direct care costs - a difference of $75.41 (z = - 2.635, P = 0.008). Conclusion. The results suggest that individuals treated with medication had significantly less mental health care cost after-treatment compared to those treated with light therapy.
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U2 - 10.1155/2012/628434
DO - 10.1155/2012/628434
M3 - Article
C2 - 23119154
AN - SCOPUS:84873859455
SN - 2090-1321
VL - 2012
JO - Depression Research and Treatment
JF - Depression Research and Treatment
M1 - 628434
ER -