Related Experiment Videos
Economic costs of obsessive-compulsive disorder
R L DuPont1, D P Rice, S Shiraki
1Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
Medical Interface
|March 9, 1995
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) significantly impacts the economy, costing $8.4 billion in 1990. This includes substantial indirect costs of $6.2 billion due to lost productivity from the disorder.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Health Economics
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe mental illness affecting 2.1% of the population annually.
- Previous research has not fully quantified the economic burden of OCD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the direct and indirect economic costs associated with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Main Methods:
- Utilized the human capital approach to calculate the total economic costs of OCD.
- Analyzed data from Epidemiological Catchment Area surveys.
Main Results:
- The total estimated cost of OCD in 1990 was $8.4 billion.
- Indirect costs, primarily from lost productivity, accounted for $6.2 billion of the total.
- OCD represented 5.7% of all mental illness costs and 18.0% of anxiety disorder costs.
Conclusions:
- OCD imposes a substantial economic burden, with significant indirect costs impacting productivity.
- Economic impact assessments are crucial for understanding the societal cost of severe mental illnesses like OCD.