Abstract
Background:
Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) is a promising, though expensive treatment for severely ill patients
with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). A high burden of disease in terms of quality of life (QoL) and life years lost
can be a reason to prioritize mental health interventions, and specifically for BPD patients. Moreover, when the societal
costs of the illness are high, spending resources on high treatment costs would be more easily legitimized. Therefore,
the purpose of this study was to calculate the burden of disease of BPD patients eligible for MBT.
Methods:
The 403 patients included in this study were recruited from two mental health care institutes in the
Netherlands. All patients were eligible for MBT. Burden of disease consisted of QoL, measured with the EuroQol
EQ-5D-3L, and costs, calculated using the Trimbos and Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Questionnaire for
Costs Associated with Psychiatric Illness.
Results:
The mean QoL index score was .48. The mean total costs in the year prior to treatment were €16,879 per
patient, of which 21 % consisted of productivity costs.
Conclusions:
The burden of disease in BPD patients eligible for MBT is high, which makes it more likely that
society is willing to invest in treatment for these patients. However, this finding should not be interpreted as a
license to unlimitedly use resources to reimburse treatment for severe BPD patients, as these findings do not
provide any information on the effectiveness of MBT or other available treatment programs for BPD. The effectiveness
of available treatments should be evident by studies on the effectiveness of the treatment itself and by comparing the
effectiveness of these treatments to treatment as usual and to other treatment options for BPD patients.
Trial registration:
The data on this paper came from two trials: NTR2175 and NTR2292.
Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) is a promising, though expensive treatment for severely ill patients
with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). A high burden of disease in terms of quality of life (QoL) and life years lost
can be a reason to prioritize mental health interventions, and specifically for BPD patients. Moreover, when the societal
costs of the illness are high, spending resources on high treatment costs would be more easily legitimized. Therefore,
the purpose of this study was to calculate the burden of disease of BPD patients eligible for MBT.
Methods:
The 403 patients included in this study were recruited from two mental health care institutes in the
Netherlands. All patients were eligible for MBT. Burden of disease consisted of QoL, measured with the EuroQol
EQ-5D-3L, and costs, calculated using the Trimbos and Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Questionnaire for
Costs Associated with Psychiatric Illness.
Results:
The mean QoL index score was .48. The mean total costs in the year prior to treatment were €16,879 per
patient, of which 21 % consisted of productivity costs.
Conclusions:
The burden of disease in BPD patients eligible for MBT is high, which makes it more likely that
society is willing to invest in treatment for these patients. However, this finding should not be interpreted as a
license to unlimitedly use resources to reimburse treatment for severe BPD patients, as these findings do not
provide any information on the effectiveness of MBT or other available treatment programs for BPD. The effectiveness
of available treatments should be evident by studies on the effectiveness of the treatment itself and by comparing the
effectiveness of these treatments to treatment as usual and to other treatment options for BPD patients.
Trial registration:
The data on this paper came from two trials: NTR2175 and NTR2292.
| Original language | Undefined/Unknown |
|---|---|
| Article number | 145 |
| Journal | Health and Quality of Life Outcomes |
| Volume | 14 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Oct 2016 |
Research programs
- EMC NIHES-04-58-01
