Skip to main content
Log in

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Armed Forces: Health Economic Considerations

  • Published:
Journal of Traumatic Stress

Abstract

This paper addresses the use of health economics in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Armed Forces, with a view to assessing the feasibility of carrying out future evaluative studies. Although psychological and pharmacological interventions can be used to treat PTSD, no economic evaluations are known to exist. There is an economic burden associated with PTSD, and treatments require the use of scarce resources. Health economics provides tools (including cost-effectiveness, cost–benefit, and cost–utility analyses) to ascertain the relative efficiency of different treatment options. The paper concludes that the quality of life and resource consequences of PTSD require a better understanding of the economics of the disorder and the alternative ways to treat it.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chisholm, D., Healey, A., & Knapp M. R. J. (1997). QALYs and mental health care. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 32, 68–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deahl, M. P., Gillham, A. B., Thomas, J., Searle, M. M., & Srinivasan, M. (1994). Psychological sequelae following the Gulf War: Factors associated with subsequent morbidity and the effectiveness of psychological debriefing. British Journal of Psychiatry 165, 60–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drummond, M. F., O'Brien, B., Stoddart, G. L., & Torrance, G. W. (1997). Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gold, M. R., Siegel, J. E., Russell, L. B., & Weinstein, M. C. (1996). Cost-effectiveness in health and medicine. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helzer, J. E., Robins, L. N., & McEvoy, L. (1987). Post-traumatic stress disorder in the general population. New England Journal of Medicine, 317, 1630–1634.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E., Hughes, M., & Nelson, C. B. (1995). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52, 1048–1060.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kulka, R. A., Schlenger, W. E., Fairbank, J. A., Hough, R. L., Jordan, B. K., Marmar, C. R., et al. (1990). Trauma and the Vietnam War generation: Report of findings from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrone, P., & Weich, S. (2001). The costs of mental health care: paucity of measurement. In M. Tansella & G. Thornicroft (Eds.), Mental health outcomes measures (2nd ed.). London: Gaskell.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Institute of Mental Health. (2001). Facts about post-traumatic stress disorder. (Publication no. OM-99 4157; Rev.). Retrieved June 5, 2002 from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/ptsdfacts.cfm.

  • O'Brian, L. S., & Hughes, S. J. (1991). Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in Falklands veterans five years after the conflict. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 135–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Randall, G., & Brown, S. (1994). Falling out: A research study of homeless ex-servicemen. London: Crisis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shepherd, J., & Stein, K. (1998). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder. (Development and Evaluation Committee Rep. No. 91). Bristol, CT: NHS Executive South and West.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Etten, M. L., & Taylor, S. (1998). Comparative efficacy of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 5, 126–144.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

(now based at Human Sciences Team

About this article

Cite this article

McCrone, P., Knapp, M. & Cawkill, P. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Armed Forces: Health Economic Considerations. J Trauma Stress 16, 519–522 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025722930935

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025722930935

Navigation