Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) frequently co-occur and increase overall burden. This study compared healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) among patients with GAD, MDD and co-occuring GAD and MDD (GAD+MDD) using real-world claims data.
METHODS: This retrospective analysis used US claims (Komodo; 2022-2024). Patients were classified as GAD without MDD (GAD), MDD without GAD (MDD), or co-occurring GAD+MDD (GAD+MDD). The index date was the first GAD or MDD encounter in 2024, and HCRU was assessed 12 months post-index, including the mean number of encounters per patient among those with ≥1 visit.
RESULTS: Cohorts included GAD (n=991,306), MDD (n=1,436,078), and GAD+MDD (n=927,476). Females comprised the majority of patients across cohorts (67%-71%). Medicare coverage was most common in MDD (47%), whereas commercial insurance predominated in GAD (60%). Patients with GAD+MDD had the highest overall healthcare utilization across all settings, including outpatient visits (11.8 vs 8.4 and 9.0), office visits (19.6 vs 15.1 and 15.0), emergency department visits (2.6 vs 2.1 and 2.1), and inpatient visits (3.4 vs 2.6 and 2.4) compared with GAD and MDD, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with co-occurring GAD and MDD had consistently greater healthcare utilization than those with either disorder alone, suggesting a subgroup with increased healthcare burden and potentially greater clinical complexity.