What is it about?
A lot of people with personality disorder do not complete treatment after being admitted to a specialist secure hospital. This study looks at the economic consequences of non-completion of treatment, in terms of the costs incurred by the National Health Service and criminal justice system. In the 10 years after admission, a person who does not complete treatment incurs on average £52,000 more in costs.
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Why is it important?
Evidence shows that non-completion is often associated with poorer treatment outcomes, hospital readmission and higher rates of criminal activity. When designing interventions to improve completion rates, it is important to understand the costs of non-completion.
Perspectives
The study cannot identify causality in the increased costs associated with non-completion. Nevertheless, people who do not complete treatment incur far greater costs. It may be possible to address this in part by introducing routine monitoring of treatment completion or by improving the process of selection into treatment.
Mr Christopher James Sampson
The Office of Health Economics
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Cost implications of treatment non‐completion in a forensic personality disorder service, Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, July 2013, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/cbm.1866.
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