Jens-Oliver Bock1, André Hajek2, Siegfried Weyerer3, Jochen Werle3, Michael Wagner4, Wolfgang Maier4, Anne Stark5, Hanna Kaduszkiewicz6, Birgitt Wiese7, Lilia Moor7, Janine Stein8, Steffi G Riedel-Heller8, Hans-Helmut König2. 1. Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: j.bock@uke.de. 2. Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Hamburg, Germany. 3. Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany. 4. Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the Helmholtz Association, Bonn, Germany. 5. Institute of Primary Medical Care, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 6. Institute of General Practice, Medical Faculty, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany. 7. Institute for General Practice, Working Group Medical Statistics and IT-Infrastructure, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. 8. Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether depressive symptoms affect healthcare costs in old age longitudinally. DESIGN: Multicenter prospective observational cohort study (two waves with nt1 = 1,195 and nt2 = 951) in Germany. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Participants aged 75 years and older recruited via general practitioners. MEASUREMENTS: Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The health-related resource use was measured retrospectively from a societal perspective based on a questionnaire, covering outpatient services, inpatient treatment, pharmaceuticals, as well as formal and informal nursing care. Hybrid regression models were used to determine the between- and within-effect of depressive symptoms on healthcare costs, adjusting for important covariates. RESULTS: Six-month total cost increased from €3,090 (t1) to €3,748 (t2). The hybrid random effects models showed that individuals with more depressive symptoms had higher healthcare costs compared with individuals with less depressive symptoms (between-effect). Moreover, an intra-individual increase in depressive symptoms increased healthcare costs by €539.60 (within-effect) per symptom on GDS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize the economic importance of depressive symptoms in old age. Appropriate interventions to treat depressive symptoms in old age might also be a promising strategy to reduce healthcare costs.
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether depressive symptoms affect healthcare costs in old age longitudinally. DESIGN: Multicenter prospective observational cohort study (two waves with nt1 = 1,195 and nt2 = 951) in Germany. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Participants aged 75 years and older recruited via general practitioners. MEASUREMENTS: Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The health-related resource use was measured retrospectively from a societal perspective based on a questionnaire, covering outpatient services, inpatient treatment, pharmaceuticals, as well as formal and informal nursing care. Hybrid regression models were used to determine the between- and within-effect of depressive symptoms on healthcare costs, adjusting for important covariates. RESULTS: Six-month total cost increased from €3,090 (t1) to €3,748 (t2). The hybrid random effects models showed that individuals with more depressive symptoms had higher healthcare costs compared with individuals with less depressive symptoms (between-effect). Moreover, an intra-individual increase in depressive symptoms increased healthcare costs by €539.60 (within-effect) per symptom on GDS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize the economic importance of depressive symptoms in old age. Appropriate interventions to treat depressive symptoms in old age might also be a promising strategy to reduce healthcare costs.
Authors: Kathryn N Tomasino; Emily G Lattie; Joyce Ho; Hannah L Palac; Susan M Kaiser; David C Mohr Journal: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2017-05-03 Impact factor: 4.105
Authors: Shiyu Lu; Tianyin Liu; Gloria H Y Wong; Dara K Y Leung; Lesley C Y Sze; Wai-Wai Kwok; Martin Knapp; Vivian W Q Lou; Samson Tse; Siu-Man Ng; Paul W C Wong; Jennifer Y M Tang; Terry Y S Lum Journal: Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci Date: 2021-02-02 Impact factor: 6.892