Current issues in the economics of depression management
In this paper, we present a systematic review of the literature on current issues in the economics of depression management, focusing on studies within three distinct areas of interest: 1) t he clinical and economic outcomes o alternative patterns of antidepressant use; 2) the impact of depression and antidepressant therapy on the costs of general medical-care services; and 3) t he effects of depression and associated benefits of antidepressant therapy on worker productivity. Our review suggests that 1) patterns of antidepressant use are important predictors of symptom improvement, relapse/recurrence, and costs of care, and that use patterns vary according to the antidepressant received as initial therapy; 2) patients with depression have higher costs of general medical-care services compared with their nondepressed peers, and that treatment of depression may reduce these costs; and 3)depression can result in productivity losses via increased rates of absenteeism and short-term disability as well as via impaired on-the-job performance.