Is bouldering-psychotherapy a cost-effective way to treat depression when compared to group cognitive behavioral therapy – results from a randomized controlled trial.
BMC Health Serv. Res. 21:1162 (2021)
Background: Bouldering-Psychotherapy (BPT) has proven to effectively reduce depressive symptoms, but evidence on its cost-effectiveness is lacking. Corresponding information is paramount to support health policy decision making on a potential implementation of BPT in routine care. Methods: Using data from the German KuS trial BPT was compared with group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Severity of depression symptoms at end of the intervention was operationalized via Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Adopting a societal perspective, direct medical costs and productivity loss were calculated based on standardized unit costs. To determine incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) and cost-effectiveness-acceptance curves (CEAC), adjusted mean differences (AMD) in costs (gamma-distributed model) and both effect parameters (Gaussian-distributed model) were obtained from 1000 simultaneous bootstrap replications. Results: BPT was related to improved effects (AMDs: MADRS -2.58; PHQ-9: − 1.35) at higher costs (AMD: +€ 754). No AMD was significant. ICERs amounted to €288 per MADRS-point and €550 per PHQ-9-point. For both effect parameters about 20% of bootstrap replications indicated dominance of BPT, and about 75% larger effects at higher costs. At hypothetical willingness to pay (WTP) thresholds of €241 (MADRS) and €615 (PHQ-9) per unit of change BPT had a 50% probability of being cost-effective. Conclusion: BPT is a promising alternate treatment strategy which – in absence of established WTP thresholds for improving symptoms of depression – cannot unambiguously be claimed cost-effective. Further studies defining subgroups that particularly benefit from BPT appear paramount to delineate recommendations for an efficient prospective roll-out to routine care.
Impact Factor
Scopus SNIP
Web of Science
Times Cited
Scopus
Cited By
Altmetric
Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
Thesis type
Editors
Keywords
Affective Disorder ; Comparative Effectiveness ; Health Care Expenditures ; Health Economic Evaluation ; Productivity Loss ; Psychotherapeutic Treatment ; Therapeutic Climbing; Exercise; Guide
Keywords plus
Language
english
Publication Year
2021
Prepublished in Year
HGF-reported in Year
2021
ISSN (print) / ISBN
1472-6963
e-ISSN
1472-6963
ISBN
Book Volume Title
Conference Title
Conference Date
Conference Location
Proceedings Title
Quellenangaben
Volume: 21,
Issue: 1,
Pages: ,
Article Number: 1162
Supplement: ,
Series
Publisher
BioMed Central
Publishing Place
Campus, 4 Crinan St, London N1 9xw, England
Day of Oral Examination
0000-00-00
Advisor
Referee
Examiner
Topic
University
University place
Faculty
Publication date
0000-00-00
Application date
0000-00-00
Patent owner
Further owners
Application country
Patent priority
Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
POF-Topic(s)
30202 - Environmental Health
Research field(s)
Genetics and Epidemiology
PSP Element(s)
G-505300-001
Grants
Forderverein Kletterzentrum Aufwarts in Miesbach
charitable Oh Do Kwan-foundation Karl Wiedmeier + Ludmilla Pankofer
Copyright
Erfassungsdatum
2021-12-15