Costs and benefits of behavioural psychotherapy: a pilot study of neurotics treated by nurse-therapists.

A pilot study is reported of costs and benefits from behavioural psychotherapy by nurse-therapists for selected neurotic problems. Figures are based on the treatment of 42 neurotics (mainly phobics and obsessive-compulsives) who completed treatment with nurse-therapists in a mean of 9 sessions (16 hours). The year before and after treatment was studied. Apart from significant and lasting reduction in patients' distress, economic benefits to them, their families and the community yielded a worthwhile internal rate of return when benefits from the cohort continue for 3 years, a reasonable assumption on available other evidence. Though untreated phobics did not improve elsewhere over 5 years follow-up, a controlled study would seem desirable.