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Antidepressent Treatment For Depression: Total Charges And Therapy Duration, Deborah G. Dobrez, Catherine A. Melfi, Thomas W. Croghan, Thomas J. Kniesner, Robert L. Obenchain

Center for Policy Research

Background: The economic costs of depression are significant, both the direct medical costs of care and the indirect costs of lost productivity. Empirical studies of antidepressant costeffectiveness suggest that the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) may be no more costly than tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), will improve tolerability, and is associated with longer therapy duration. However the success of depression care usually involves multiple factors, including source of care, type of care, and patient characteristics, in addition to drug choice. The cost-effective mix of antidepressant therapy components is unclear.

Aims of the Study: Our study evaluates cost and antidepressant-continuity …