Impact of Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder in Managed Care

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The authors determined the costs associated with generalized social anxiety disorder in a managed care setting. METHOD: A three-phase mail and telephone survey was conducted from July to October 1998 in two outpatient clinics of a large health maintenance organization (HMO). The survey assessed direct costs, indirect costs, health-related quality of life, and clinical severity associated with generalized social anxiety disorder, both alone and with comorbid psychopathology. RESULTS: The weighted prevalence rate of current generalized social anxiety disorder was 8.2%. In the past year, only 0.5% of subjects with generalized social anxiety disorder had been accurately diagnosed. Yet 44.1% had a mental health specialty visit or had been prescribed an antidepressant, and psychiatric comorbidity was found in 43.6%. Noncomorbid generalized social anxiety disorder was associated with significantly lower health-related quality of life, work productivity, and earnings and greater utilization of health s...