Cost of Depression of Adults in Taiwan

Objective:To estimate the direct cost of depression in Taiwanese adults for the years 2000–2002.Methods:The medical claims database of the National Health Bureau was analyzed and the cost of treating adults (>15 years of age) with the diagnosis of depression was calculated.Results:The total direct medical costs of adult depression in the three years 2000, 2001, and 2002 were approximately US$ 93 million, US$ 117 million, and US$140million, respectively.Conclusion:The cost of depression increased continuously over the period from 2000–2002. However, the percentage of patients receiving treatment did not increase steadily over the same time period with treatment rates of 1.5% in 2000, 2.3% in 2001, and 2.0% in 2002. The recent annual prevalence of depression in Taiwan has been estimated at 4–5%. Thus, the Taiwanese health authority spends an annual average of US$ 116.6 million to treat depression (1.2% of total national expenses). In sum, the treatment of depression, while costly, deserves greater attention...