Measuring The Lifetime Costs Of Serious Mental Illness And The Mitigating Effects Of Educational Attainment

Health Aff (Millwood). 2019 Apr;38(4):652-659. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05246.

Abstract

Serious mental illness (SMI) is a disabling condition that develops early in life and imposes substantial economic burden. There is a growing belief that early intervention for SMI has lifelong benefits for patients. However, assessing the cost-effectiveness of early intervention efforts is hampered by a lack of evidence on the long-term benefits. We addressed this by using a dynamic microsimulation model to estimate the lifetime burden of SMI for those diagnosed by age twenty-five. We estimated that the per patient lifetime burden of SMI is $1.85 million. We also found that a policy intervention focused on improving the educational attainment of people with SMI reduces the average per person burden of SMI by $73,600 (4.0 percent)-a change driven primarily by higher lifetime earnings-or over $8.9 billion in reduced burden per cohort of SMI patients. These findings provide a benchmark for the potential value of improving educational attainment for people with SMI.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Child
  • Chronic Disease
  • Cost of Illness*
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis*
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Early Intervention, Educational / economics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Life Expectancy
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Mental Disorders / economics*
  • Mental Disorders / therapy
  • Middle Aged
  • Quality of Life
  • Quality-Adjusted Life Years
  • Risk Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • United States
  • Young Adult