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Cost-effectiveness of ADHD treatments: findings from the multimodal treatment study of children with ADHD.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Jensen, PS; Garcia, JA; Glied, S; Crowe, M; Foster, M; Schlander, M; Hinshaw, S; Vitiello, B; Arnold, LE; Elliott, G; Hechtman, L; Newcorn, JH ...
Published in: Am J Psychiatry
September 2005

OBJECTIVE: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a costly public health problem. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study on the cost-effectiveness of the major forms of ADHD treatments used in NIMH's Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With ADHD (MTA Study). METHOD: Five hundred seventy-nine children with ADHD, combined type, ages 7 to 9.9, were assigned to 14 months of medication management, behavioral treatment, both combined, or community care. Services were tallied throughout the study, including medication, health care visits, behavioral treatments, and rental costs. Provider specialty, total time, and number of visits with providers were used to calculate costs, adjusted to FY 2000 dollars with the consumer price index. RESULTS: Treatment costs varied fourfold, with medication management being the least expensive, followed by behavioral treatment, and then combined treatment. Lower costs of medication treatment were found in the community care group, reflecting the less intensive (and less effective) nature of community-delivered treatment. Medical management was more effective but more costly than community care and more cost-effective than combination treatment and behavioral treatment alone. Under some conditions, combination treatment (medical management and psychotherapy) were somewhat more cost-effective, as demonstrated by lower costs per additional child "normalized" among children with multiple comorbid disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Medical management treatment, although not as effective as combined medical management and behavioral treatment, is likely to be more cost-effective in routine treatment for children with ADHD, particularly those without comorbid disorders. For some children with comorbid disorders, it may be cost-effective to provide combination treatment.

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Published In

Am J Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0002-953X

Publication Date

September 2005

Volume

162

Issue

9

Start / End Page

1628 / 1636

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Treatment Outcome
  • Salaries and Fringe Benefits
  • Psychiatry
  • Prevalence
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Methylphenidate
  • Humans
  • Health Care Costs
  • Drug Costs
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
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Jensen, P. S., Garcia, J. A., Glied, S., Crowe, M., Foster, M., Schlander, M., … Wells, K. (2005). Cost-effectiveness of ADHD treatments: findings from the multimodal treatment study of children with ADHD. Am J Psychiatry, 162(9), 1628–1636. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.9.1628
Jensen, Peter S., Joe Albert Garcia, Sherry Glied, Maura Crowe, Mike Foster, Michael Schlander, Stephen Hinshaw, et al. “Cost-effectiveness of ADHD treatments: findings from the multimodal treatment study of children with ADHD.Am J Psychiatry 162, no. 9 (September 2005): 1628–36. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.9.1628.
Jensen PS, Garcia JA, Glied S, Crowe M, Foster M, Schlander M, et al. Cost-effectiveness of ADHD treatments: findings from the multimodal treatment study of children with ADHD. Am J Psychiatry. 2005 Sep;162(9):1628–36.
Jensen, Peter S., et al. “Cost-effectiveness of ADHD treatments: findings from the multimodal treatment study of children with ADHD.Am J Psychiatry, vol. 162, no. 9, Sept. 2005, pp. 1628–36. Pubmed, doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.162.9.1628.
Jensen PS, Garcia JA, Glied S, Crowe M, Foster M, Schlander M, Hinshaw S, Vitiello B, Arnold LE, Elliott G, Hechtman L, Newcorn JH, Pelham WE, Swanson J, Wells K. Cost-effectiveness of ADHD treatments: findings from the multimodal treatment study of children with ADHD. Am J Psychiatry. 2005 Sep;162(9):1628–1636.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0002-953X

Publication Date

September 2005

Volume

162

Issue

9

Start / End Page

1628 / 1636

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Treatment Outcome
  • Salaries and Fringe Benefits
  • Psychiatry
  • Prevalence
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Methylphenidate
  • Humans
  • Health Care Costs
  • Drug Costs
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis