British Columbians with major depression are paying $700 a week out of their own pockets to get help, a new Simon Fraser University study has found.
The work, led by Faculty of Health adjunct professor Sonya Cressman, looked at the more than a quarter million B.C. adults diagnosed with major depressive disorders (MDD) between 2015 and 2020.
Cressman said major depressive disorders are one of the most common mental illnesses. Over the next decade, depression is set to become the world’s leading cause of disability as it directly affects the patient’s ability to work. And, that, the study found, when combined with amounts paid for help, can put lower-income groups and people in urban centres are at risk of financial hardship.
The study found treating depression came with a provincial health system price tag of more than $1.5 billion over two years.
The study said Canadian health systems pay for MDD treatment through pharmaceutical therapies and visits to physicians, hospitals and emergency departments. However, it noted, costs of psychotherapy or pharmacology treatments are not fully covered and not all Canadians have access to extended health benefits, meaning they must pay out of pocket. Other costs, like lost productivity and informal caregiving, are also borne by the patient and their family.
Cressman and her team found costs borne by the province are just a fraction of the total bill to treat MDD. Patient-borne costs are estimated at $3-12 billion for the same two-year period.
“The first few weeks of treatment after being diagnosed with serious depression in B.C. are critical for preventing financial hardship,” said Cressman, a health economist.
“Low-income groups are paying disproportionately more than high-income groups once you take into consideration the basic costs of living. If depression goes into remission, then that inequality is erased. It’s mitigated by early and effective treatment.”
Cressman hopes the study leads to national policy to protect patients with mental illness from the financial impacts of their condition.
If you are in crisis, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions offers services:
- Suicide crisis: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
- Mental health issue: 310-6789 (24 hours)
- KUU-US Aboriginal crisis line: 1-800-588-8717 (24 hours)
- Medical emergency: 911
