Consumers' Valuation of Primary Care-Based Treatment Options for Mental and Substance Use Disorders

Most individuals with substance use disorders and with mental disorders do not receive treatment. If treatment options were more attractive, treatment rates might increase. The advantages of novel approaches, including primary care-based treatment and collaborative care in a primary care setting, have been documented. However, less is known about consumers' valuation of these options. The authors assessed monetary valuation of these treatment types compared with usual care in a specialty treatment setting. Contingent valuation methods were used in a Web-based randomized vignette experiment that involved 2,146 individuals who screened positive for a drug or alcohol use disorder or a mental disorder. Participants valued a primary care-based treatment visit over usual care in a specialty treatment setting by $9.00 and a collaborative care visit over usual care in a specialty treatment setting by $5.85.