OBJECTIVES

The costs of twelve selected neurological, neuro-surgical and psychiatric disorders in Austria in the year 2004 will be presented. The present paper is part of the "Cost of Disorders of the Brain in Europe" study.

METHODS

The data for the present calculations are based on systematic reviews of epidemiological and health-economic studies. For all European countries identical methods were applied. All economic data were transformed to Euros for Austria in the year 2004 ("Purchasing Power Parity adjusted").

RESULTS

The highest costs per case per disorder were caused by brain tumors (49,800 Euro) and multiple sclerosis (30,500 Euro). One-year-prevalence estimates (Austrian population 8.1 million) were highest for anxiety disorders (848,000 cases), followed by migraine (537,000 cases) and affective disorders (479,000 cases). The total costs (i.e. for all cases of a specific disorder in Austria) were highest for affective disorders and addiction (alcohol and illegal drugs). The total cost of all included disorders (addiction, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, brain tumours, dementia, epilepsy, migraine, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, psychotic disorders, stroke and brain trauma) was estimated at 8.8 billion Euros for Austria in the year 2004. Direct health care cost amounted to Euros 3.2 billion (37% of total cost), direct non-medical cost totalled Euros 1.5 billion (17%), and indirect cost Euros 4.1 billion (47%).

DISCUSSION

Even when considering that such estimates based on international studies have methodological limitations, the total cost of the twelve included disorders is considerable. The total cost of these twelve disorders constitutes 4% of the gross national product of Austria. Taken together, these disorders cost each Austrian citizen Euros 1 090 per year.