Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T15:29:24.199Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Prevalence and Costs of Psychiatric Disorders and Learning Disabilities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Kirsteen Smith ,
Ajit Shah ,
Ken Wright  and
Glyn Lewis
Kirsteen Smith*
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Economics, University of York
Ajit Shah
Affiliation:
John Conelly Wing, Ealing Hospital
Ken Wright
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Economics
Glyn Lewis
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London and Department of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
*
K. Smith, Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York Y01 5DD
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

The economic burden of psychiatric disorders and learning disability is assessed in order to aid decisions on priorities for research funding.

Method

A wide variety of data sources both on prevalence and on the usage and costs of relevant services were used to measure the economic burden of each condition.

Results

Despite methodological problems and problems with the data, an attempt is made to estimate the relative economic burden imposed by each condition. No attempt is made to sum up the costs for each condition across the agencies and individuals involved.

Conclusions

Our findings show that learning disability, schizophrenia and neurotic conditions (including depression) are major burdens on the National Health Service; senile dementia and depression in older people impact largely on local authority social services. Senile dementia, schizophrenia and learning disability are also heavy charges on the social security system. It is also notable that the large numbers with less severely disabling neurotic disorders generate a burden that, according to our figures, is comparable to schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Type
Review Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 166 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 9 - 18
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anon (1991) Charity and appeals directory. London: Law Society Gazette.Google Scholar
Charities Aid Foundation (1987) Charity Trends. Tonbridge: CAF.Google Scholar
Darton, R. & Wright, K. (1990) Survey of Residential and Nursing Homes. University of Kent Personal Social Services Research Unit, Discussion Paper 735.Google Scholar
Department of Health (1990a) Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England 1990. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Department of Health (1990b) Patient Care in the Community, Community Mental Handicap Nurses: summary information from form KC58, 1988/89. London: DoH.Google Scholar
Department of Health (1991) NHS Day Care Facilities England: year ending 31 March 1990. London: DoH/HMSO.Google Scholar
Department of Health and Social Security (1986) Mental Statistics for England. London: DHSS.Google Scholar
Department of Health and Social Security (1987a) Health Service Costing Returns. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Department of Health and Social Security (1987b) Social Security Statistics. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Drummond, M., Stoddart, G. & Torrance, G. (1990) Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Green, H. (1985) Informal Carers: General Household Survey.Google Scholar
Hansard Cutting Services (1992) Antidepressant drugs. Health & Personal Social Services, 12 February 1992, para. 462. London.Google Scholar
Holloway, F. (1991) Day Care in an Inner City I: characteristics of attenders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 805–810.Google Scholar
Jenkins, R. (1985) Minor psychiatric disorder in employed young men and women and its contribution to sickness absence. British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 42, 147–154.Google Scholar
Kind, P. & Sorensen, J. (1993) The costs of depression. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 7, 191–195.Google Scholar
Knapp, M. (1992) Care in the Community Challenge and Demonstration. Aldershot: Ashgate.Google Scholar
Laing & Buisson (1989) Laing's Review of Private Health Care 1988/89. London: Laing & Buisson.Google Scholar
Leary, J., Johnstone, E. & Owens, D. G. C. (1991) Disabilities and circumstances of schizophrenic patients – a follow up study. II: social outcomes. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159 (suppl. 13), 13–20.Google Scholar
Levin, E., Sinclair, A. & Gorbach, P. (1989) Families, Services and Confusion. Avebury.Google Scholar
Livingstone, G., Thomas, A., Graham, N., et al (1990) The Gospel Oak project: the use of health and social services by dependent elderly people in the community. Health Trends, 2, 70–73.Google Scholar
RCGP/OPCS/DHSS (1986) Morbidity Statistics from General Practice: 3rd National Study 1981–82.Google Scholar
Shah, A. K. (1992) The Prevalence and Burden of Psychiatric Disorders. Report for the Department of Health. London: Institute of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Shiell, A., Gerard, K. & Donaldson, C. (1987) Cost of illness studies: an aid to decision-making? Health Policy, 8, 317–323.Google Scholar
Social Services Inspectorate (1987) Inspection of Community Social Services for Elderly People with Mental Disorders. London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
West, R. (1992) Depression. London: Office of Health Economics.Google Scholar
White, E. (1990) The Third Quinquennial Nursing Survey. Manchester: University of Manchester.Google Scholar
Wing, L., Wing, J. K., Hailey, A., et al (1967) The use of psychiatric services in three urban areas: an international case register study. Social Psychiatry, 2, 158–167.Google Scholar
Woolfe, K., Rose, S. & Street, J. (1989) Community psychiatric nursing service in Salford, Southampton and Worcester. In Health Service Planning and Research: Contributions from Psychiatric Case Registers (ed. Wing, J. R.). London: Gaskell.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.