The Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL) has awarded funding, through the INNVAL program, to a project led by César González-Blanch, clinical psychologist at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, which will analyze—over a ten-year follow-up period—the economic impact of Eating Disorders (EDs) and their implications for planning and innovation in mental health within the Cantabrian Health Service.
The study addresses a strategic gap in the healthcare system: the lack of longitudinal data in Spain on the healthcare, economic, and social costs associated with EDs—disorders with a high care burden and a growing impact, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the principal investigator, INNVAL funding has been crucial to making the project feasible, both due to the resources provided and the institutional support for disseminating results and their future transfer to the healthcare system.
High clinical severity and resource utilization
EDs present high clinical severity, with anorexia being the mental disorder with the highest mortality rate. Beyond direct treatment, these patients generate substantial healthcare resource use due to frequent psychological and physical comorbidities that require the involvement of multiple hospital services.
The aim of the project is to quantify this economic impact and analyze associated factors that can help optimize treatments and improve the efficiency of the public healthcare system. A key aspect of the study will be to assess the impact of delays in accessing specialized treatment. “Reducing this time not only lowers costs for the healthcare system, but also significantly improves the well-being of patients, their families, and their social environment,” the researcher emphasizes.
Ten years of follow-up to support decision-making
The study will analyze a cohort of patients with a first episode of ED treated at the Eating Disorders Unit of HUMV between 2014 and 2015, comparing them with a control group without this diagnosis. Over a ten-year period, direct and indirect costs will be estimated, identifying profiles of greater vulnerability and the impact of delayed access to specialized treatment.
The results will enable budget impact analyses for the Cantabrian Health Service, support decision-making in mental health policies, and lay the groundwork for future organizational and care innovations.
The project is underpinned by a solid clinical and research track record. César has been a clinical psychologist at Valdecilla since 2005, a supervisor of PIR residents, holds a PhD from the University of Deusto, is a university lecturer, and has participated in international projects.
(César González-Blanch, on the left, and Andrés Gómez del Barrio; head of the Eating Disorders Unit at Valdecilla, on the right)
