Journal
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
Volume 52, Issue 2, Pages 540-552Publisher
SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04955-4
Keywords
Adolescents; Adults; Children; Costs; Germany; Health services
Categories
Funding
- German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung) [FKZ 01EE1409F]
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The study found that the annual health costs related to ASD are comparable to those of schizophrenia, and female patients incur higher costs, calling for further research.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with high services use, but European data on costs are scarce. Utilisation and annual costs of 385 individuals with ASD (aged 4-67 years; 18.2% females; 37.4% IQ < 85) from German outpatient clinics were assessed. Average annual costs per person were 3287 EUR, with psychiatric inpatient care (19.8%), pharmacotherapy (11.1%), and occupational therapy (11.1%) being the largest cost components. Females incurred higher costs than males (4864 EUR vs. 2936 EUR). In a regression model, female sex (Cost Ratio: 1.65), lower IQ (1.90), and Asperger syndrome (1.54) were associated with higher costs. In conclusion, ASD-related health costs are comparable to those of schizophrenia, thus underlining its public health relevance. Higher costs in females demand further research.
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