A Reduction in Health Care Expenditures Linked to Mental Health Service Use Among Adults With Chronic Physical Conditions

What is it about?

This study examined the impact of receiving mental health services on healthcare expenditures in a large population sample of adults with six major chronic physical conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, emphysema, asthma or arthritis. The authors followed 33,419 adults aged 18 and over for two years, who had at least one of the six chronic physical conditions. They compared a change in healthcare costs in the subsequent year for individuals with the chronic conditions who received mental health services in the preceding year and that for those who did not. They found that receiving mental health services was associated with a reduction in overall healthcare cost, particularly costs for office-based visits and prescribed medication among these adults. Also, the combination of psychotherapy and medication treatment for mental issues yielded a larger impact on cost containment compared to using each service alone.

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