In spite of a growing body of research over the last decade
documenting the economic burden of depression on individuals and
on society, efforts to curb skyrocketing medical costs usually
start with cuts in mental health services and benefits.
Insurance coverage of mental health treatment in recent years
has become more and more restrictive. Most health care reform
proposals impose stricter limits on mental health care than on
general medical services. One recent study - the first to look
beyond the direct cost of treating depression to the use of
medical services in general - suggests that in the long run
these cuts may be costing the health-care system far more than
they save. Examining accounting records of some 12,000 HMO
patients of Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, researchers
found annual medical costs for patients with diagnosed
depression to be double those of patients not diagnosed with
depression. The twofold difference persisted for at least 12
months after the patients began receiving trea