The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has updated its Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including with new information specifically addressed to individuals in the European Economic Area. As described in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences.

Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.

×
No Access

The cost of schizophrenia

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.132.9.901

The cost of schizophrenia has been estimated at $11.6 to $19.5 billion annually. About two-thirds of this cost is due to lack of productivity by schizophrenic patients and about one-fifth to treatment costs. The estimate might be considerably higher if better figures were available on the cost of maintaining patients in the community. In the absence of more effective treatment, the savings from the current trend toward shorter hospitalization cannot be expected to decrease-and may actually increase-the overall costs of schizophrenia to society. The authors make recommendations aimed at reducing the cost by helping schizophrenic patients to be more productive through a system of community alternative-care facilities, increased rehabilitation services, aftercare, and research.

Access content

To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.