Cost-effectiveness of different clinical interventions for reducing the burden of schizophrenia in Spain

To estimate the cost-effectiveness of interventions for reducing the burden of schizophrenia in Spain.

The study examined the cost-effectiveness of seven different types of clinical interventions at the level of Spanish population: i) current situation; ii) older antipsychotics alone; iii) new antipsychotics alone (risperidone); iv) older antipsychotics plus psychosocial treatment; v) new antipsychotics plus psychosocial treatment; vi) older antipsychotics plus case management and psychosocial treatment; vii) new antipsychotics plus case management and psychosocial treatment.

Interventions based on the combination of haloperidol with psychosocial treatment or psychosocial treatment plus case management proved to be the most efficient strategies.

The relatively modest additional cost of concurrent psychosocial treatment has significant health gains, thereby making such a combined strategy for schizophrenia more cost-effective than pharmacology alone.