Burden of PTSD in Dutch Veterans

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with impaired quality of life and societal costs. Previous cost-of-illness studies on PTSD have primarily focused on direct medical costs, often overlooking productivity losses and broader health impacts. This study aims to estimate the societal burden of PTSD, including economic costs and health related quality of life (HRQoL), in Dutch military veterans by comparing those with a clinical diagnosis of PTSD (CD-PTSD) to a sample from the general veteran population (GVP). A cross-sectional design was used. The CD-PTSD group (n = 77) was recruited from clinical settings, while the GVP group (n = 70) completed an online survey. Data were collected between 2018 and 2021, and the societal costs were estimated in 2023 euros using the Treatment Inventory of Costs in Patients with psychiatric disorders (TiC-P), in accordance with economic guidelines. HRQoL was measured using the EuroQol-5-Dimensions-5-Levels (EQ-5D-5L), and PTSD symptom severity with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Veterans in the CD-PTSD group reported significantly higher PTSD symptom severity, higher mental healthcare utilization, lower HRQoL, and higher productivity loss compared to the GVP group. The average annual societal cost was €29,993 per person in the CD-PTSD group, with 68% attributable to productivity loss. The GVP group had an average annual cost of €7,215 per person, with 64% due to productivity loss. Veterans with PTSD bear a substantially higher societal burden than those in the general veteran population. These findings underscore the urgency of implementing targeted interventions to reduce economic costs and improve quality of life for affected veterans.