Direct and Indirect Costs Among Caregivers of Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Suicidal Ideation or...

To compare direct and indirect costs among caregivers of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts (MDSI) versus caregivers of patients with MDD alone versus caregivers of patients without MDD or suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts (controls).

Cohorts were based on caregivers of adult patients with MDSI, MDD alone, and controls. Patients were identified by Workpartners employer database ICD-9/ICD-10 codes (January 2010 to July 2019) and were spouses or domestic partners of employees (caregivers). Twenty controls and 20 MDD-alone caregivers were matched to each MDSI caregiver on sex, age, and index year. All caregiver-patient pairs had 6 months pre/postindex information and met additional inclusion/exclusion criteria. Patient and caregiver medical and prescription claims and caregiver absenteeism (payment/time) were analyzed. Direct costs (medical, prescription) and indirect costs (absence payments by benefit type) were analyzed using separate, 2-part stepwise regression models and controlling for demographics, job-related variables, region, index year, and Charlson Comorbidity Index score.

570 MDSI caregiver-patient pairs and 11,400 matched MDD-alone and control pairs were identified. MDSI and MDD-alone caregivers had higher medical costs compared with controls ($5,131 and $4,548 versus $3,885, respectively; P < .0001). Prescription costs were highest among MDSI caregivers, followed by MDD-alone and control caregivers ($1,852, $1,425, and $1,005, respectively; P < .001). MDSI caregivers had the highest total indirect costs. MDSI patient medical and prescription costs were highest, followed by MDD-alone and control patients.

MDSI caregivers had significantly greater direct and indirect costs compared with MDD-alone and non-MDD caregivers.