Cost of Depression Related Mental Healthcare for Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author(s)
Sharmily G. ROY, PhD, MPH1, Robert O. Morgan, PhD1, Paul J. Rowan, PhD1, Hua J. Chen, MD, PhD2, Sa E. Messiah, PhD, MPH, FTOS3;
1UTHealth Science, School of Public Health, Management Policy and Community Health, Houston, TX, USA, 2University of Houston, College of Pharmacy, Houston, TX, USA, 3UT Southwestern, Epidemiology & Pediatrics, Dallas, TX, USA
1UTHealth Science, School of Public Health, Management Policy and Community Health, Houston, TX, USA, 2University of Houston, College of Pharmacy, Houston, TX, USA, 3UT Southwestern, Epidemiology & Pediatrics, Dallas, TX, USA
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: Depression is the most common behavioral health condition affecting children and adolescents in the US. We examined the cost related to healthcare utilization to examine if there were changes to all cause and depression related healthcare services visit costs during the COVID-19 restrictions.
METHODS: IQVIA Claims data was used to study youth cohort 10-17 years old with depression related mental health outpatient and inpatient encounters. This study compares depression related and total healthcare costs for youth during Baseline 2019 with COVID period spanning 2020-2022 in two ways: four predefined periods based on levels of community social restrictions; and each full year.
RESULTS: Cost of all healthcare ($2823.93), depression related inpatient ($1005.41) and outpatient ($866.51) care per youth enrolled remains lower than Baseline through the changing levels of social restriction phases. Without factoring the effects of any predictors, the total annual cost for a youth’s depression related outpatient care is $758.32 (95%CI: $720.11 to $798.55). Variation in cost was observed based on gender, US region, year when service took place and insurance type (public vs private). The per-enrollee average weekly cost is highest $249.87(all-cause) and $133.69 (depression) during Presocial restriction phase (Jan to mid-March 2020) when the enrollee count is lowest.
CONCLUSIONS: Given similar effectiveness throughout Baseline and COVID-19 social restriction periods, incremental costs related to administration of healthcare are lower with higher number of youth enrollees. Cost of healthcare is closely related to quality of care. The variation in costs due to youth characteristics and location also has implications for health equity.
METHODS: IQVIA Claims data was used to study youth cohort 10-17 years old with depression related mental health outpatient and inpatient encounters. This study compares depression related and total healthcare costs for youth during Baseline 2019 with COVID period spanning 2020-2022 in two ways: four predefined periods based on levels of community social restrictions; and each full year.
RESULTS: Cost of all healthcare ($2823.93), depression related inpatient ($1005.41) and outpatient ($866.51) care per youth enrolled remains lower than Baseline through the changing levels of social restriction phases. Without factoring the effects of any predictors, the total annual cost for a youth’s depression related outpatient care is $758.32 (95%CI: $720.11 to $798.55). Variation in cost was observed based on gender, US region, year when service took place and insurance type (public vs private). The per-enrollee average weekly cost is highest $249.87(all-cause) and $133.69 (depression) during Presocial restriction phase (Jan to mid-March 2020) when the enrollee count is lowest.
CONCLUSIONS: Given similar effectiveness throughout Baseline and COVID-19 social restriction periods, incremental costs related to administration of healthcare are lower with higher number of youth enrollees. Cost of healthcare is closely related to quality of care. The variation in costs due to youth characteristics and location also has implications for health equity.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
HSD44
Topic
Health Service Delivery & Process of Care
Disease
SDC: Mental Health (including addition)