This article reviews cost-of-illness (COI) studies and cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) conducted for anxiety disorders.  The analysis found that few COI or CEA studies were suitable for direct comparison but that panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder tended to show higher direct costs per-case but lower direct-cost per inhabitant that phobias.  CEA analyses compared therapeutic and interventional strategies to current standards, finding that eight (8) resulted in better cost-effectiveness than their comparators.  The authors recommended more research and suggested standardizing cost categories for COIs and greater utilization of comparable effectiveness measures (e.g. QALYs) in CEAs. 

Konnopka, A., F. Leichsenring, et al. (2009). Cost-of-illness studies and cost-effectiveness analyses in anxiety disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 114(1-3): 14-31. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18768222  

Authors: Alexander Konnopka, Falk Leichsenring, Hans-Helmut Konig