The New York Times (2/1, A12, Carey, Subscription Publication) reported, “A new approach to treating early schizophrenia, which includes family counseling, results in improvements in quality of life [QoL] that make it worth the added expense,” a study published online Jan. 31 in Schizophrenia Bulletin suggests. The study “included 183 people who received typical care and 223 who got…more comprehensive services.” The study, a cost analysis based on the National Institute of Mental Health’s RAISE (Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode) trial data, “was an important test of the new care program’s value.”
The study concluded that “coordinated specialty care for young people with first-episode psychosis may be more cost-effective than typical community care,” Psychiatric News (2/2) reports. In fact, “when converted to monetized Quality Adjusted Life Years…benefits exceeded costs, especially at future generic drug prices.”
Related Links:
— “New Plan to Treat Schizophrenia Is Worth Added Cost, Study Says,” Benedict Carey, New York Times, February 1, 2016.