Giving people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) a choice in their treatment reduces costs according to a new study, co-written by University of Washington’s Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress psychologist Dr. Lori Zoellner. The finding has “tremendous implications for how large health care systems such as the U.S. Department of Veterans proceed with treating PTSD,” Zoellner told University of Washington Today.
The study, which was done in 2004-2009, split 200 patients age 18 to 65 years old, into two groups, one allowed its members to choose their treatment and the other, while the other randomly its members Zoloft or therapy. “When the participants were given a choice, their treatment cost each year averaged about $6,156 compared with $7,778 for those assigned a treatment—a difference of approximately $1,622,” University of Washington Today reported.
In summarizing the study’s implications for KPLU 88.5 (Seattle), Dr. Zoellner stated that, "you're probably more likely to take your medication regularly, to attend your psychiatrist visits more regularly. And in psychotherapy, you may also be more likely to do the homework."
