Cost-effectiveness of long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: RCT evidence from the Tavistock Adult Depression Study (TADS)

Koeser, Leonardo, Rost, Felicitas, Gabrio, Andrea, Booker, Thomas, Taylor, David, Fonagy, Peter, Goldberg, David, Knapp, Martin and McCrone, Paul (2023) Cost-effectiveness of long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: RCT evidence from the Tavistock Adult Depression Study (TADS). Journal of Affective Disorders, 335. 313 - 321. ISSN 0165-0327

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Abstract

Background: Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) accounts for a large fraction of the burden of depression. The interventions currently used are mostly pharmacological and short-term psychotherapies, but their effectiveness is limited. The Tavistock Adult Depression Study found evidence for the effectiveness of long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy (LTPP) plus treatment as usual (TAU), versus TAU alone, for TRD. Even after a 2-year follow-up, moderate effect sizes were sustained. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of this LTPP + TAU. Methods: We conducted a within-trial economic evaluation using a Bayesian framework. Results: Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were 0.16 higher in the LTPP + TAU group compared with TAU. The direct cost of LTPP was £5500, with no substantial compensating savings elsewhere. Overall, average health and social care costs in the LTPP + TAU group were £5000 more than in the TAU group, employment rates were unchanged, and effects on other non-healthcare costs were uncertain. Accordingly, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was ≈£33,000/QALY; the probability that LTPP + TAU was cost-effective at a willingness to pay of £20,000/QALY was 18 %. Limitations: The sample size of this study was relatively small, and the fraction of missing service-use data was approximately 50 % at all time points. The study was conducted at a single site, potentially reducing generalizability. Conclusions: Although LTPP + TAU was found to be clinically effective for treating TRD, it was not found to be cost-effective compared with TAU. However, given the sustained effects over the follow-up period it is likely that the time horizon of this study was too short to capture all benefits of LTPP augmentation.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-a...
Additional Information:	© 2023 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Personal Social Services Research Unit
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Date Deposited:	01 Jun 2023 08:51
Last Modified:	08 May 2024 21:15
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/119292

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