Borderline personality disorder: resource utilisation costs in Ireland

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with significant healthcare needs, including crises, hospitalizations, self-harm, and substance use.
• Data on the direct healthcare resource utilization and associated costs for individuals with BPD in Ireland is limited.
• Understanding these costs is crucial for effective resource allocation and policy development in mental healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the direct healthcare resource utilization by individuals with BPD in Ireland.
• To estimate the annual direct healthcare costs associated with BPD in the Irish population.
• To contribute empirical data to the scarce literature on BPD-related healthcare expenditures in Ireland.

Main Methods:

• A prevalence-based micro-costing study was conducted on 196 individuals with BPD accessing public mental health services.
• Healthcare costs were assessed via a resource utilization questionnaire completed by mental health practitioners.
• Probabilistic sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulation was employed to address uncertainty.

Main Results:

• The average annual direct healthcare cost per individual with BPD was €10,844.
• With an estimated 28,725 individuals with BPD in Ireland, the total annual cost of illness reached up to €311.5 million.
• These figures represent direct healthcare expenditures only.

Conclusions:

• This study provides essential data on the direct healthcare costs of BPD in Ireland, addressing a significant knowledge gap.
• The findings underscore the substantial economic burden of BPD, emphasizing the need for evidence-based resource allocation.
• Limitations include the exclusion of productivity losses and indirect costs, warranting further comprehensive economic evaluations.