Abstract
The authors review the methodologies used to study the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of mental health services. They assess the strengths and weaknesses of the work already done and suggest areas for further study. Improvements will be necessary to meet the needs of mental health policy makers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cassell W.A., Smith C.M., Grunberg F., Boan J.A., Thomas R.F. Comparing costs of hospital and community care.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1972,23 17–20.
Conley R.W., Conwell M., Arrill M.D. An approach to measuring the cost of mental illness.American Journal of Psychiatry 1967,124 63–70.
Dear, M. The impact of mental health facilities on property values.Community Mental Health Journal 1977,13 150–157.
Fein, R.Economics of Mental Health New York: Basic Books, 1958.
Finkler, S.A. Cost effectiveness of regionalization: further results for heart surgery.Health Services Research 1981,16 325–333.
Finkler, S.A. The distinction between cost and charges.Annals of Internal Medicine 1982,96 102–109.
Fishman, D. Cost-effective methodology for development and pilot test.Operations Research and the Mental Health Services System, 1981, HN1. DHHS-ADM; 81–1018.
Goldman, H.H. Mental illness and the family burden.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1983,33 557–560.
Kiesler, C.A. Public and professional myths about mental hospitalization: An empirical reassessment of policy-related beliefs.American Psychologist 1982,37 1323–1339.
Kiesler, C.A. Barriers to effective knowledge use in mental health policy.Health Policy Quarterly, 1981,3.
Harvard University, Division of Health Policy Research and Education, Mental Health Policy Working Group.Cost effectiveness of hospitalization and alternative care, 1982, Unpublished.
Haveman R.H. and Margolis J. (eds). Public Expenditure and Policy Analysis. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1977.
Hodgson T. and Meiners M. Cost of illness methodology: a guide to current practices and procedures.Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly 1982,60 429–462.
Hu T. A review of studies on the costs of mental disorders. Washington DC: Public Service Laboratory, Georgetown University, 1981.
Levin, H.M. Cost-effectiveness analysis in evaluation research (89–122); in Guttentag, M. and Struening, E.L. (eds).Handbook of evaluation research (II). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1975.
McCaffree K.M. The cost of mental health care under changing treatment methods.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1966,27 165–170.
McCaffree, K.M. The economic barriers to the development of community mental health programs.Medical Care 1968,4 286–299.
May, P.R.A. Cost efficiency of treatments for the schizophrenic patient.American Journal of Psychiatry 1971,127 1382–1385.
Maypole, D. Fears about the development of a group home.Administration in Mental Health 1981,9 67–75.
Murphy M.A. and Datel W.E. A cost-benefit analysis of community versus institutional living.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1976,27 163–170.
National Institute of Mental Health. Series EN No. 1,Economics and mental health. McGuire, T. and Weisbrod, B.A. (eds.). DHHS Pub. No. (ADM) 81–1114. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1981.
National Institute of Mental Health. Series En No. 2,Cost considerations in mental health treatment: settings, modalities, and providers. Taintor, Z., Wideni, P, and Barrett, S.A.; (eds.). DHHS Pub. No. (ADM). 84–1295. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1984.
Rubin, J. Cost measurement and cost data in mental health settings.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1982,33 750–754.
Sharfstein S. and Nafziger J.C. Community care: costs and benefits for a chronic patient.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1976,27 170–173.
Sharfstein S., Taube C.A., Goldberg I. Problems in analyzing the comparative costs of private versus public psychiatric care.American Journal of Psychiatry 1977,134 29–32.
Sheehan D. and Atkinson J. Comparative costs of state hospital and community-based inpatient care in Texas: who benefits most?Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1974,25 242–244.
Sorensen J.E. and Phipps D.W.Cost finding and rate-setting for community mental health centers. (US DHEW/NIMH #[HSM] 72–9138) U.S. Government Printing Office, 1971.
Sorensen J.E. and Grove H.D. Using cost-outcome and cost-effectiveness analyses for improved program management and accountability (371–410); inEvaluation of human service programs Attkissonet al. (eds). New York: Academic Press, 1978.
Sorensen J.E. and Kucic A.R.Assessing the cost-outcomes and cost-effectiveness of community support programs. Division of Mental Health, State of Colorado, Department of Institutions, 1981.
Thompson J.D., Averill R.F., Fetter R. Planning, budgeting, and controlling-one look at the future: case mix cost accounting.Health Services Research 1979,14 111–125.
Torrance G.W., Stoddart G.L., Drummond M.F., Gafni A. Cost-benefit analysis versus cost-effectiveness analysis for the evaluation of long-term care programs.Health Services Research 1981,16 474–476.
VandenBos G.R. Health financing, service utilization, and national policy: a conversation with Stan James.American Psychologist 1983,38 948–955.
Warner K.E. and Hutton R.C. Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis in health care: growth and composition of the literature.Medical Care 1980,18 1069–1074.
Weinstein M.C. and Stason W.D. Foundations of cost-effectiveness analysis for health and medical practices.New England Journal of Medicine 1977,296 716–721.
Weisbrod B.A. A guide to benefit-cost analysis as seen through a controlled experiment in treating the mentally ill.Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law, 1983, 808–845.
Weisbrod B.A. A guide to benefit-cost analysis as seen through a controlled experiment. Discussion Paper. University of Wisconsin: Institute for Research on Poverty, 1979.
Weisbrod B.A. and Schlesinger M. Benefit-cost analysis in the mental health area: issues and directions for research; in McGuire and Weisbrod (eds).Economics and mental health. (US DHHS/NIMH [ADM] 81–1114). U.S. Government Printing Office, 1981.
Weisbrod B.A., Test M.A., Stein L.I. An alternative to the mental hospital. II: benefit-cost analysis.Archives of General Psychiatry 1980,37 400–405.
Wolpert J. and Seley J. Community response to the deinstitutionalized population.Journal of National Association of Private Psychiatric Hospitals 1980,11 31–36.
Zelman W.N., Stone A.V., Davenport B. Factors contributing to artifactual differences in reported mental health costs.Administration in Mental Health 1982,10 40–52.
Additional information
Dr. Dickey is with Harvard Medical School at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. Dr. Cannon is with John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company. Dr. McGuire is with Boston University.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dickey, B., Cannon, N. & McGuire, T. Mental health cost studies: Some observations on methodology. Administration in Mental Health 13, 189–201 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00819116
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00819116