Depression and Health Care: The High Cost of Saving
In spite of a growing body of research over the last decade documenting the economic burden of depression on individuals and on society, efforts to curb skyrocketing medical costs usually start with cuts in mental health services and benefits. Insurance coverage of mental health treatment in recent years has become more and more restrictive. Most health care reform proposals impose stricter limits on mental health care than on general medical services. One recent study - the first to look beyond the direct cost of treating depression to the use of medical services in general - suggests that in the long run these cuts may be costing the health-care system far more than they save, reports Dr. David Sobel in his latest column, Depression and Health Care: The High Cost of Saving. ...  

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