By Gavin Mackintosh-
Conduct and emotional problems in adolescents today could cost the NHS nearly £630,000(1) annually in GP visits alone in adulthood, says new research published in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
A study by LSE researchers found that conduct and emotional problems in adolescents, especially when combined are connected with relatively high GP costs in adulthood.
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Conduct disorder refers to a group of behavioral and emotional problems characterized by a disregard for others. Children with conduct disorder have a difficult time following rules and behaving in a socially acceptable way.
The researchers analysed data from three birth cohorts born in single weeks in 1946, 1958 and 1970 . Each cohort’s rate of use of GP services in adulthood were examined to calculate different estimates for the future primary care costs of UK adolescents.
The experts used extrapolations from the most recent cohort of adolescents studied, who were born in 1970, to estimate the costs of young people today experiencing emotional and conduct problems.
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The researchers concluded that there is a statistically significant association between adolescent mental health and adulthood GP costs for men, with those experiencing severe and concurrent conduct and emotional problems in adolescence generating mean annual GP costs.
According to their findings. almost all scenarios (16 out of 18), the percentage increase in costs attributable to adolescent mental health problems were greater for females than for males, though in some cases the percentage increases were relatively small.
Researchers also utilised evidence from outside the UK also shows that child mental health conditions influence GP costs.
They used nationally representative datasets and new computations to calculate and compare costs of primary care contacts in adulthood across subgroups differentiated by their mental health experiences in adolescence.
They concluded that they will create an extra 6500 visits per year to the GP in adulthood at an annual cost of nearly £250,000 by the time they are 50 years old.
According to their estimations, conduct problems alone will lead to nearly 3200 extra GP visits and cost £125,000. Emotional problems alone will lead to 6300 extra GP visits, costing £247,000.
Dr Derek King, Assistant Professorial Research Fellow in the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, and lead author of the research said: “Our figures foreshadow the true costs of mental health to the NHS. While we only estimate the costs to GP services, we know that many of these visits will lead to a referral to another specialist.”
The researchers found that the link between mental health problems in adolescence and a higher rate of GP use as an adult was generally stronger in women. For example, for those with both conduct and emotional problems and where at least one was categorised as ‘high severity’, costs increased between 24 per cent and 46 per cent.
Dr King said: “We know that adolescent girls experience greater anxiety than boys, and if this persists it may explain women’s higher use of GP services in adulthood. It may also reflect women’s greater willingness to seek a GP’s help for their health issues.”
Derek’s areas of expertise are mental health policy and economics, the demand and financing of long term care and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Dr Sara-Evans Lacko,(pictured) Assistant Professorial Research Fellow in the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre and one of the authors of the research, said: “Pressure on primary care services could be eased if conduct and emotional problems could be prevented or successfully managed in adolescence. This is particularly important given that rates of adolescent mental health problems are growing and that we know they are linked with poorer health, social and economic outcomes in later life.
Dr Evans Lacko is a mental health services researcher with a particular interest in the role of health services and social support in the prevention and treatment of mental illness and cross-cultural applications of this.
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