Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Altrecht Child and Youth Psychiatry, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2022 Jul;63(7):771-780. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13517. Epub 2021 Sep 8.
Subclinical depressive symptoms are highly prevalent among adolescents and are associated with negative consequences, which may pose an economic burden for society. We conducted a prevalence-based cost-of-illness study using a societal perspective to investigate the cost-of-illness of subclinical depressive symptoms among adolescents.
Using a bottom-up approach, cost questionnaires were assessed to measure costs from 237 Dutch families with an adolescent aged 11-18 with subclinical depressive symptoms (of which 34 met the criteria of a depressive disorder). The study is registered in the Dutch Trial Register (Trial NL5584/NTR6176; www.trialregister.nl/trial/5584).
Our calculations show that adolescents with subclinical depressive symptoms cost the Dutch society more than €42 million annually, expressed in costs related to depressive symptoms. Secondary analyses were performed to test the reliability and stability of the costs. When costs related to psychological problems were considered, the annual costs amounted to €67 million. The total societal costs related to physical problems amounted to approximately €126 million. All costs combined (depressive, psychological, behavioural and physical problems and other reasons) amounted to a €243 million. Total costs were highest for physical-related problems of the adolescent (52% of the total costs), followed by psychological (28%), depressive (17%) and behavioural problems (1%). Using an international prevalence rate, societal costs related to depressive symptoms resulted in €54 million a year.
Cost-effective prevention programmes seem warranted given the high societal costs and risk of future costs as subclinical depressive symptoms could be a precursor of clinical depression later in life.
亚临床抑郁症状在青少年中高度普遍，与负面后果相关，这可能给社会带来经济负担。我们采用基于患病率的成本效益研究，从社会角度调查了青少年亚临床抑郁症状的疾病成本。
采用自下而上的方法，使用成本调查问卷评估了 237 个有 11-18 岁亚临床抑郁症状青少年（其中 34 名符合抑郁障碍标准）的荷兰家庭的成本。该研究在荷兰试验注册处（试验 NL5584/NTR6176；www.trialregister.nl/trial/5584）注册。
我们的计算表明，患有亚临床抑郁症状的青少年每年给荷兰社会造成的费用超过 4200 万欧元，这是与抑郁症状相关的费用。进行了二次分析以测试成本的可靠性和稳定性。当考虑与心理问题相关的成本时，每年的费用达到 6700 万欧元。与身体问题相关的总社会成本约为 1.26 亿欧元。所有相关的（抑郁、心理、行为和身体问题以及其他原因）成本总计为 2.43 亿欧元。青少年身体相关问题的总费用最高（占总费用的 52%），其次是心理问题（28%）、抑郁问题（17%）和行为问题（1%）。采用国际患病率，与抑郁症状相关的社会成本每年达到 5400 万欧元。
鉴于社会成本高且未来成本风险大，亚临床抑郁症状可能是青少年以后出现临床抑郁的前兆，因此需要制定具有成本效益的预防计划。
