The cost of pharmacological treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder in a French patient sample: A health economic cohort study

Introduction

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a potentially severe mental disorder with many psychiatric and physical complications. As a result, some patients may be hospitalized in medical-surgical-obstetric (MSO) or psychiatric units. Considering the hypothesis that hospitalisation induces changes in the pharmacological management of PTSD, our primary objective was to study psychotropics before hospitalisation. From this baseline, our secondary objectives were to analysed their course and annual cost.

Methods

Using data from the Pays de la Loire (France) SNDS (National Health Data System) to identified patients with PTSD, we conducted a retrospective health-economic study in 389 patients hospitalized for the first time with a main diagnosis of PTSD between 2018 and 2020. We studied the psychotropic medications delivery during the month prior to hospitalization (M0) and then at 1 month (M1) and 12 months (M12) of follow-up before analyzing their cost.

Results

At baseline, 184 patients (184/389, 48%) took psychotropics, mainly antidepressants (127/184, 70%) and benzodiazepines (113/184, 61%). Over the three study periods, the three most psychotropic delivery were antidepressants (251/389, 65%), benzodiazepines (196/389, 50%), and sedative antipsychotics (121/389, 31%). Hospitalisations (M1) were characterized by a significant increase in the number of monthly boxes dispensed per patient and the proportion of patients taking psychotropic. The mean annual cost of pharmacological treatments was €531.04 per patient: €353.08 for non-psychotropics and €207.06 for psychotropics.

Conclusion

PTSD management could be more efficient. Training healthcare professionals, including general practitioners and psychiatrists, in the early detection and management of PTSD seems essential.