Economic impact of personality disorders in UK primary care attenders.
BACKGROUND
The economic impact of personality disorders on UK health services is unknown.


AIMS
To test the hypothesis that people with personality disorders have higher mean health and non-health costs compared with those without personality disorders.


METHOD
Prospective cohort study design. A total of 303 general practice attenders were followed-up I year after they had been assessed for the presence of personality disorders. Costs were estimated in pound sterling at 1999 price levels.


RESULTS
The mean total cost for patients with personality disorders was pound sterling 3094 (s.d.=5324) compared with pound sterling 1633 (s.d.=3779) for those without personality disorders. Personality disorders were not independently associated with increased costs. Multivariate analyses identified the presence of a significant interaction between personality disorders and common mental disorders and increased total costs (coefficient=499, 95% CI 180.1-626.2, P=0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
Personality disorders are not independently associated with increased costs. An interaction between personality disorders and common mental disorders significantly predicts increased total costs.