The Cost of Relapse in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating mental illness characterised by periods of relapse that require resource intensive management. Quantifying the cost of relapse is central to the evaluation of the cost effectiveness of treating schizophrenia.

We aimed to undertake a comprehensive search of the available literature on the cost of relapse.

We performed a search on multiple databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and Health Management Information Consortium) for any study reporting a cost of relapse or data from which such a cost could be calculated. Costs are reported in 2015 international dollars.

We found 16 studies reporting costs associated with relapse over a defined period of time and identified a cost associated with hospitalisation for relapse in 43 studies. Eight clinical decision analyses also provided cost estimates. Studies from the US report excess costs of relapse of $6033-$32,753 (2015 Purchasing Power Parity dollars [PPP$]) over periods of 12-15 months. European studies report excess costs of $8665-$18,676 (2015 PPP$) over periods of 6-12 months. Estimates of the cost of hospitalisation for relapse are more diverse, and associated with marked differences in typical length of stay across jurisdictions.

Wide ranges in the estimated cost of relapse may reflect differences in sample section and relapse definition as well as practice styles and differences in resource costs. Selection of the most appropriate cost estimate should be guided by the definition of relapse and the analysis setting.