The Growing Burden of Major Depressive Disorders (MDD): Implications for Researchers and Policy Makers
PharmacoEconomics (2021) 39:619–625
Managing Principal Paul E. Greenberg, Principal Dave Nellesen, and Manager David Proudman provided the editorial overview for a series of studies on major depressive disorders (MDDs) published in a special edition of PharmacoEconomics. The editorial’s authors organized their summaries of and commentary on 11 papers according to several unifying themes:
- The growing prevalence of MDD, particularly since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 and in younger age groups;
- Research concerning the direct and indirect cost of MDD;
- The economic and clinical burden of MDD in subpopulations;
- Advances in analytical methods; and
- Implications for researchers and policy makers.
Noting that MDD is one of the most burdensome illnesses globally, to patients, employers, payers, and society , the editorial’s authors observed that researchers are often challenged by the complex and varied clinical presentations of the disease. The collection of research they reviewed covers several determinants of health associated with distinct subgroups of MDD patients, showing how resource use, cost, and clinical outcomes can be particularly high in certain subgroups. The research discussed may be used by health care researchers and policy makers to identify, characterize, and provide increased access for the needs of key subpopulations more effectively.
Read the special edition of PharmacoEconomics