Objective: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of interventions for reducing the burden of schizophrenia in Spain.
Method: The study examined the cost-effectiveness of seven different types of clinical interventions at the level of Spanish population: i) current situation; ii) older antipsychotics alone; iii) new antipsychotics alone (risperidone); iv) older antipsychotics plus psychosocial treatment; v) new antipsychotics plus psychosocial treatment; vi) older antipsychotics plus case management and psychosocial treatment; vii) new antipsychotics plus case management and psychosocial treatment.
Results: Interventions based on the combination of haloperidol with psychosocial treatment or psychosocial treatment plus case management proved to be the most efficient strategies.
Conclusion: The relatively modest additional cost of concurrent psychosocial treatment has significant health gains, thereby making such a combined strategy for schizophrenia more cost-effective than pharmacology alone.