Understanding the financial impact of depression: a review of cost of illness evidence from India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20260445Keywords:
Cost of illness, Depression, Socioeconomic disparities, Mental health policy, Indirect costAbstract
India bears a large portion of the societal and economic effects of depression, which is a major contributor to the disease burden. With an emphasis on both direct and indirect costs, this review examines the cost-of-illness (COI) data about depression in India. Clinical depression or major depressive disorder (MDD) is thought to affect 15-20% of people in their lifetime, and gender and poverty are important risk factors. The average yearly direct cost of depression in India is around ₹19,500 per person, which includes both medical (₹13,510 median) and nonmedical (₹6008 median) expenses. However, indirect costs-which make up 56.33% of the total COI-amount to an average of ₹33,800 per year and include factors such as lost work, caregiver stress, and time off for consultations. An estimated ₹59951.33 is the total yearly economic burden per person. Financial barriers to consistent care are highlighted by the fact that patients on regular medication spend much more (₹1,387) than those receiving irregular treatment (₹554). These results highlight the fact that women and lower-income groups are disproportionately affected by depression, and that untreated mental illness leads to significant productivity losses and long-term financial strain. Legislators must prioritize mental health financing, increase insurance coverage, and enhance access by distributing resources fairly and utilizing digital health tools. Planning successful, inclusive, and long-lasting mental healthcare.
Metrics
References
Salve HR, Jaiswal A, Rath R, Sagar R, Vishnubhatla S. Prevalence and gender difference in depression in primary health care in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Family Med Prim Care. 2024;13(3):819-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_290_23
Reddy VM, Chandrashekar CR. Prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders in India: a meta-analysis. Indian J Psychiatry. 1998;40(2):149-57.
Bosman MH, Weerts ZZ, Snijkers JT, Vork L, Mujagic Z, Masclee AA, et al. The socioeconomic impact of irritable bowel syndrome: an analysis of direct and indirect health care costs. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023;21(10):2660-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2023.01.017
Fiske A, Wetherell JL, Gatz M. Depression in older adults. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2009;5:363-89. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.032408.153621
Freeman A, Tyrovolas S, Koyanagi A, Chatterji S, Leonardi M, Ayuso-Mateos JL, et al. The role of socio-economic status in depression: results from the COURAGE (aging survey in Europe). BMC Public Health. 2016;16(1):1098. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3638-0
Kirkbride JB, Anglin DM, Colman I, Dykxhoorn J, Jones PB, Patalay P, et al. The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and recommendations. World Psychiat. 2024;23(1):58-90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21160
Gibson TB, Ng E, Ozminkowski RJ, Wang S, Burton WN, Goetzel RZ, et al. The direct and indirect cost burden of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. J Occupat Environmental Med. 2008;50(11):1261-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e318181b8ca
Sashidharan SP, Mezzina R, Puras D. Reducing coercion in mental healthcare. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2019;28(6):605-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796019000350
Arvind BA, Gururaj G, Loganathan S, Amudhan S, Varghese M, Benegal V, et al. Prevalence and socioeconomic impact of depressive disorders in India: multisite population-based cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2019;9(6):e027250. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027250
Jo C. Cost-of-illness studies: concepts, scopes, and methods. Clin Mol Hepatol. 2014;20(4):327-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2014.20.4.327
Kondapura MB, Manjunatha N, Nagaraj AKM, Praharaj SK, Kumar CN, Math SB, et al. Cost of Illness Analysis of Common Mental Disorders: A Study from an Indian Academic Tertiary Care Hospital. Indian J Psychol Med. 2023;45(5):519-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176221108867
Dhodi DK, Sinha SR, Dawer F, Chavan MS. A prospective cross-sectional study to evaluate the economic burden of patients diagnosed with depression in a tertiary care hospital. Int J Basic Clin Pharmacol. 2020;9(5):722-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20201746
Sarkar S, Mathan K, Sakey S, Shaik S, Kattimani S. Cost-of-treatment of clinically stable severe mental illnesses in India. Indian J Social Psychiat. 2017;33(3):262-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/0971-9962.214600
Thakral S, Mishra NN, Bhatia T, Deshpande SN. Cost of major mental disorders in Delhi, India. Asian J Psychiatr. 2011;4(2):155-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2011.02.007
Patel V, Chisholm D, Kirkwood BR, Mabey D. Prioritizing health problems in women in developing countries: comparing the financial burden of reproductive tract infections, anaemia and depressive disorders in a community survey in India. Trop Med Int Health. 2007;12(1):130-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2006.01756.x
Leon AC, Klerman GL, Wickramaratne P. Continuing female predominance in depressive illness. Am J Public Health. 1993;83(5):754-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.83.5.754
Robertson EB, Elder Jr GH, Skinner ML, Conger RD. The costs and benefits of social support in families. J Marriage Family. 1991;403-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/352908
Ufere NN, Satapathy N, Philpotts L, Lai JC, Serper M. Financial burden in adults with chronic liver disease: a scoping review. Liver Transplantation. 2022;28(12):1920-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/lt.26514
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
