Healthcare utilization costs of emerging adults with mood and anxiety disorders in an early intervention treatment program compared to a matched cohort

AimThe First Episode Mood and Anxiety Disorder Program (FEMAP) provides treatment to emerging adults with mood and anxiety disorders in an accessible, youth‐friendly environment. We sought to investigate FEMAP's impact on the costs of care.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study of one‐year health service costs using linked administrative datasets to compare emerging adults treated at FEMAP (FEMAP users) to propensity‐score matched controls (non‐users). Costs from the perspective of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long‐Term Care, included drug benefit claims, inpatient, physician and ambulatory care services. We used bootstrapping to perform unadjusted comparisons between FEMAP users and non‐users, by cost category and overall. We performed risk‐adjusted comparison of overall costs using generalized estimating equations.ResultsFEMAP users (n = 366) incurred significantly lower costs compared to non‐users (n = 660), for inpatient services (−$784, 95% confidence interval [CI] −$1765, −$28), ambulatory care services (−$90, 95% CI −$175, −$14) and drug benefit claims (−$47, 95% CI ‐$115,‐$4) and significantly higher physician services costs ($435, 95% CI $276, $581) over 1 year. The unadjusted difference in overall costs was not significant (−$853, 95% CI −$2048, $142). Following adjustment for age, sex and age at first mental health diagnosis, the difference of −$914 (95% CI (−$2747, $919)) was also not significant.ConclusionsFEMAP was associated with significantly lower costs of inpatient and ambulatory care services, and higher costs of physician services, however we are unable to conclude that FEMAP is cost‐saving overall.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Healthcare utilization costs of emerging adults with mood and anxiety disorders in an early intervention treatment program compared to a matched cohort. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 13, 6 p1439-1446 (2019)], which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.12790. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions: https://authorservices.wiley.com/author-resources/Journal-Authors/licensing/self-archiving.html#3.

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