Costs of brain disorders in Finland

: Sillanpää M, Andlin-Sobocki P, Lönnqvist J

: 2008

: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica

: Acta neurologica Scandinavica

: Acta Neurol Scand

: 117

: 3

: 167

: 172

: 6

: 0001-6314

: 1600-0404

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0404.2007.00973.x

To calculate the costs of brain disorders on the national level.\nElectronic data bases, national registers and internet data.\nAny brain disorder was estimated to affect a fifth of the Finnish population. The three most common disorders were migraine, anxiety disorder and affective disorder. The total costs of brain disorders constituted 3% of the national gross product, or 45% of all the health-care costs. However, this is likely a conservative estimate, because not all chronic brain disorders and not all costs were included. Of the total costs of brain disorders, 32% were for direct health care, 23% for indirect medical care and 45% for indirect costs. Dementia was the most costly individual brain disorder followed by addiction and affective disorders. Most costly per case were brain tumours and multiple sclerosis.\nBrain disorders constitute a costly part of the population's health costs. Directed preventive measures are needed to counteract the population morbidity and to control the increasing cost pressure in health care.\nOBJECTIVE\nMETHODS\nRESULTS\nCONCLUSION