COST OF DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS IN INDOOR PATIENTS

Objective: To estimate the direct and indirect cost of depressive disorders in indoor patients. Methodology: This hospital based descriptive study was carried out on thirty patients admitted consecutively in department of psychiatry Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center Karachi from January to July 2000. International Classification of Disease-10 diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders were used to identify the patients. Cost proforma was devised to calculate direct and indirect cost. The cost of hospital stay per day was calculated by using opportunity costs model. Results: There were 9 (30%) male and 21 (70%) female patients. Majority of the patients were in their twenties (n=11, 36.67%) and thirties (n=9, 30%). There were 24 (80.02%) married and 6 (19.98%) unmarried patients. A total of 20 (66.66%) were jobless and 10 (33.33%) were having a job. Most of the patients were suffering from moderate depressive disorder and recurrent depressive disorder (n=11, 36.67% and n=10, 33.33%). The overall cost of all the patients was Rs. 472,542 with Rs.73,026 (15%) in direct and Rs. 399,516 (85%) in indirect costs with a ratio of 1:5.5. Conclusion: The diagnosis of moderate depressive disorder was the commonest in the sample. The indirect cost of depressive disorder in indoor patients was 5.5 times more than the direct cost.