The estimation of health state utility values for psychological distress in Australia: Implications for future economic evaluations

Objectives: Psychological distress is a state of emotional suffering and discomfort that often manifests as anxiety, depression, or other mental health symptoms, impairing daily functioning, and hindering concentration, relationships, and work or school performance. We aimed to examine the disutility associated with psychological distress.

Methods: We utilized longitudinal data obtained from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. We measure health state utility values (HSUVs) using the short-form six-dimension utility index (SF-6D) and psychological distress using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). We employed a longitudinal fixed effects regression model to examine the effects of psychological distress on HSUVs.

Results: The results from fixed effects panel regression models indicate a negative effect of psychological distress on HSUVs. We found that moderate psychological distress (β = -0.057, 95% CI = -0.059, -0.055) and high psychological distress (β = -0.123, 95% CI = -0.126, -0.121) led to a significant reduction in HSUVs. These findings hold across different subsamples, such as age, gender, and race.

Conclusions: By quantifying the reduction in HSUVs due to psychological distress, our study provides valuable data for future economic evaluations of healthcare interventions. The evidence generated from future economic evaluations will assist policymakers in making informed decisions about the most effective interventions for treating psychological distress.