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The Maudsley long-term follow-up of child and adolescent depression

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Abstract

Background

Little is known about the long-term economic impact of childhood depression. The aim of this study is to identify and examine the links between the characteristics of children with depression and the costs of services used in adulthood.

Methods

Subjects (N=149) who had attended psychiatric services in South London for depression were followed up on average 20.7 years later. Sociodemographic and illness characteristics were recorded in childhood and service use in adulthood was measured. Costs were calculated and multiple regression models were developed to explain variations in cost, with a comparison between ordinary least squares estimation and a generalised linear model.

Results

Service use and cost data were available on 140 subjects. The mean annual cost was £ 890 (range £ 0–£ 7532). Predictors of cost variations in both models were age at initial referral, level of childhood anxiety, and the presence of comorbid conduct disorder. In the ordinary least squares model, a family history of psychiatric illness was inversely related to cost, whilst in the generalised linear model there was an inverse link between peer/sibling relationship problems and costs. The models could explain 24 % and 20% of cost variation, respectively.

Conclusions

It is possible to explain a reasonable amount of variation in adult service costs from factors describing the characteristics of children at the time of receiving care.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for the Economics of Mental Health, Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    Paul McCrone & Martin Knapp

  2. Personal Social Services Research Unit, LSE Health and Social Care, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London,WC2A 2AE, UK

    Martin Knapp

  3. Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal Children’s Hospital, 4018 Ste Catherine West, Montreal, Quebec, H3Z 1P2, Canada

    Eric Fombonne

Authors
  1. Paul McCrone
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  2. Martin Knapp
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  3. Eric Fombonne
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McCrone, P., Knapp, M. & Fombonne, E. The Maudsley long-term follow-up of child and adolescent depression. Europ.Child & Adolescent Psych 14, 407–413 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0491-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0491-6

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