Direct medical costs of suicide attempts by patients in Columbia's Antioquia Mental Hospital

Abstract

Objective. Analyze the behavior of direct medical costs in relation to the number of suicide attempts and compare the costs of cognitive-behavioral therapy with those of conventional treatment. Methods. The cost of hospital services for attempted suicide was quantified for 248 patients with a diagnosis of mental illness treated at the Antioquia Mental Hospital, a state social enterprise (E.S.E.), and a cost-outcome analysis was performed. Results. It was found that the average direct cost of care for patients with four or more suicide attempts was equivalent to US$ 5,641, a US$ 5,490 difference vis-à-vis the group with a single attempt. Moreover, the cost increased with the number of attempts. Finally, the diagnosis of mental illness (e.g., chronicity), the method used in the suicide attempt, and the need for specialized services were associated with the increase in direct costs. Conclusions. The use of a public health approach involving preventive strategies that assess and monitor psychosocial factors could reduce the problem and its direct medical costs.