[Illness related costs for spouses of patients suffering from a mental illness: results of a study with repeated measurements]

Abstract

Objective: Aim of this study is the documentation of illness-associated costs for spouses, whose relative is suffering from a mental illness.

Method: Over a period of 12 month, 117 spouses of patients who are suffering from schizophrenia, depression or anxiety disorders repeatedly filled in a standardized questionnaire about illness related expenses and financial losses.

Results: 90 % of the spouses reported direct cash expenditures on behalf of the patients' illness. On average, these costs amounted to yearly expenditures of euro 1146 (range: euro 0 - 11 910). Costs did not differ significantly across types of illness and income was not found to be a significant covariate.

Conclusions: Spouses reported substantial direct cash expenditures on behalf of the patients' illness. Since these expenditures varied to a large extent over the three points of measurement, repeated measurement designs seem to be a prerequisite for a reliable assessment of illness-associated costs. Since living together with a mentally ill partner is associated with an increased risk of developing a burden-related psychiatric illness for spouses themselves which may lead to double costs and double decreases in income, these aspects should be taken into consideration when planning changes in health policy.