COST TO SOCIETY
Submitted by DrFaedda on Sun, 2003-02-16 05:47. ::
The best estimate to date of the cost to society of Bipolar Disorder comes from a study published by Wyatt and colleagues in 1995.
Of the total estimated cost of $45 billion in 1991, only $7 billion were direct costs. Almost $38 billion was the indirect cost of this illness due to the loss of productivity, suicide and caregivers’ loss of productivity. These figures are estimates based on a prevalence rate for BPD of 1.3%.
More recent data (Simon) on utilization of specialty mental health or substance abuse services by patients with BPD, Unipolar Depression, Diabetes and general medical outpatients in a health maintenance organization (HMO) revealed that BPD is the most expensive illness among outpatients.