Cost-effectiveness analysis in child and adolescent mental health problems: an updated review of the literature

Abstract

Background/Objectives: In this presentation we provide the results of a review of the recent literature on the cost-effectiveness of the prevention or treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents. Methods: A systematic literature search for publications on the economic evaluation of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) intervention programmes has been conducted for the years 2001 to 2009, and a literature search for CAMH prevention and promotion programmes has been conducted for the years 2006 to 2009. Results: Two studies on the cost-effectiveness of prevention programmes and 19 studies on the cost-effectiveness of psychiatric interventions were identified. Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) based on primary data (14) mainly focused on non-medical interventions, while CEAs based on simulation models (7) were mainly focused on drug treatment. CEA studies were mainly conducted in the USA and the UK. The time period of most CEAs is limited to 12 months. Due to methodological differences the results of CEAs are difficult to compare. Discussion/Conclusions: The findings from this review demonstrate that there is still little knowledge about which programmes for mental disorder prevention, mental health promotion, or treatment for mental disorders in children and adolescents provide the greatest societal benefit for the invested money. This lack of knowledge is especially prevailing in most European countries. Funding: This paper was prepared under the auspices of the CAMHEE (Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Enlarged Europe) project funded by the European Commission Public Health Programme (grant no. 2005311).