Costs of a therapy for depression
Depression causes costs of about 22 million euros per year in Germany. These sums are almost exclusively covered by statutory and private health insurance. How high the resulting costs are, depends thereby on the sex and on the severity of the depression; on average these amount to approximately 3800 euro per patient per year.
Costs are rarely incurred by the person affected, but the need for treatment is thoroughly reviewed before the start of therapy. For this purpose, 3-5 preliminary talks are held in advance with a psychotherapist or registered psychiatrist to determine whether a mental disorder is present. If this is the case and the specialist staff confirms, for example, the existence of depression, therapy can be started from the list of established guideline procedures.
The established procedures include behavior therapy, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy based on depth psychology. Initially, a treatment period of 30-50 hours is usually approved by the health insurance companies. If necessary and if the psychotherapist requests an extension, the number of hours can be further increased.
Can depression be treated without a doctor-psychiatrist?
As described above, mild depressive episodes in particular are a form of depression that may be treated without medical psychiatric help. Although psychotherapy is said to have a positive effect here too, depending on the attitude of the person concerned and the degree of support from his or her social environment, such a mild depressive episode can subside even without medical help. It is recommended, however, to consult a physician in case of depressive moods that last for several days or weeks, as there is a risk that a more severe depressive episode develops which can be dangerous and in most cases requires drug and psychotherapeutic therapy. In general, if suicidal thoughts occur, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.
When should you be treated as an inpatient, when as an outpatient?
There is no general answer to this question. Particularly in the case of mental illness, the symptoms, the degree of severity and the patient’s level of suffering vary so greatly from person to person that it is not possible to give a clear answer. In general, severe depressive episodes should be treated as inpatients in the majority of cases.
On the one hand, because the person affected by severe depression is often well advised to leave his or her own environment for some time, to have daily therapeutic contact and to come into contact with fellow sufferers, and on the other hand because the medication is somewhat easier to administer in an inpatient setting. In addition, patients suffering from a severe depressive episode often have suicidal thoughts. These are often not actively addressed, but are only revealed upon request.Often also because suicide is still regarded as a kind of taboo subject in today’s society.
In such cases, an inpatient admission can be a significant relief for the person concerned. Slightly depressive episodes usually do not require inpatient treatment. Moderately severe depressive episodes can – depending on their severity and symptoms – also be treated on an outpatient basis. Outpatient treatment can, for example, also take the form of a day clinic treatment. In this case, the patient comes to the facility every day during the week from morning to afternoon and is cared for here, for example, with individual discussions, group therapy or occupational therapy, and then spends the evening and night at home.
