The economic burden of schizophrenia in Canada

Objective: To estimate the financial burden of schizophrenia in Canada in 1 996 Method: Using a prevalence-based approach, all direct health care costs, ad ministrative costs of income assistance plans, and costs of incarceration a ttributable to schizophrenia were determined. Also included was the value o f lost productivity associated with premature mortality and morbidity. In a ddition to using published papers and documents, direct contact was made wi th representatives from various provincial and federal programs for estimat es of the direct health care and non-health care costs. Results: The estimated number of persons with schizophrenia in Canada in 19 96 was 221 000, with equal distribution between males and females. The dire ct health care and non-health care cost was estimated to be $1.12 billion i n 1996 In addition, another $1.23 billion in lost productivity associated w ith morbidity and premature mortality was attributable to schizophrenia. Conclusions: The total financial burden of schizophrenia in Canada was esti mated to be $2.35 billion in 1996. The largest category of cost was morbidi ty (52%), followed by acute care and psychiatric hospital admissions (14% a nd 10% respectively). Given the magnitude of these cost estimates, there ar e large potential cost savings with more effective management and control o f this debilitating disease.