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Cited by 259Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchHealth Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of LifeMental Health Treatment and Access

The economic burden of posttraumatic stress disorder in the United States from a societal perspective

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Davis, Lori L., Schein, Jeff, Cloutier, Martin, Gagnon-Sanschagrin, Patrick, Maitland, Jessica, Urganus, Annette, Guerin, Annie, Lefebvre, Patrick +1 more·2022·The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
DOI 10.4088/jcp.21m14116
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Abstract

To estimate the economic burden of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the United States civilian and military populations from a societal perspective. A prevalence-based and human capital approach was used to estimate the total excess costs of PTSD in 2018 from insurance claims data, academic literature, and governmental publications. Excess direct health care costs (pharmacy, medical), direct non-health care costs (research and training, substance use, psychotherapy, homelessness, disability), and indirect costs (unemployment, productivity loss, caregiving, premature mortality) associated with PTSD were compared between adults with PTSD and adults without PTSD, or the general population if information was not available for adults without PTSD. The total excess economic burden of PTSD in the US was estimated at $232.2 billion for 2018 ($19,630 per individual with PTSD). Total excess costs were $189.5 billion (81.6%) in the civilian population and $42.7 billion (18.4%) in the military population, corresponding to $18,640 and $25,684 per individual with PTSD in the civilian and military populations, respectively. In the civilian population, the excess burden was driven by direct health care ($66.0 billion) and unemployment ($42.7 billion) costs. In the military population, the excess burden was driven by disability ($17.8 billion) and direct health care ($10.1 billion) costs. The economic burden of PTSD goes beyond direct health care costs and has been found to rival costs for other costly mental health conditions. Increased awareness of PTSD, development of more effective therapies, and expansion of evidence-based interventions may be warranted to reduce the large clinical and economic burden of PTSD.

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Authors
Davis, L. L., Schein, J., Cloutier, M., Gagnon-Sanschagrin, P., Maitland, J., Urganus, A., Guerin, A., Lefebvre, P., & Houle, C. R.
Affiliations
  • University of Alabama (US)
  • Otsuka (United States) (US)
  • Lundbeck (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Davis, Lori L.
ORCID
Venue
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Publisher
Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc
Published
2022-04-25
Volume
83
Issue
3
ISSN
  • 0160-6689 (ISSN-L)
  • 1555-2101
DOI
10.4088/jcp.21m14116
OpenAlex
W4224257950
Semantic Scholar
c8d96286d6a8cf979ac57219faf88e58e4f6076a
Cited by
259
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 57 · 2025: 86 · 2024: 69 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 9
FWCI
45.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, economic burden, social costs, direct medical costs, indirect costs, unemployment, productivity loss, disability, military personnel, civilian population, health insurance claims, human capital approach, premature mortality, caregiving costs
MeSH terms
Financial Stress, Adult, Efficiency, Humans, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, United States, Health Care Costs, Cost of Illness

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