ECONOMIC COSTS OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

Anxiety disorders are estimated to affect 26.9 million individuals in the United States at some point during their lives. This study used th e human capital approach to estimate the direct and indirect costs of these highly prevalent disorders. In 1990, costs associated with anxie ty disorders were $46.6 billion, 31.5% of total expenditures for menta l illness. Less than one-quarter of costs associated with anxiety diso rders were for direct medical treatment; over three-quarters were attr ibutable to lost or reduced productivity. Most of these indirect costs were associated with morbidity as mortality accounted for just 2.7% o f the total. Greater availability of effective, relatively low-cost ou tpatient treatment could substantially reduce the economic and social burden of these common and often crippling disorders. (C) 1996 Wiley-L iss, Inc.