Trial-based economic evaluation of the BrainACT study: acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety and/or depressive symptoms after acquired brain injury.

Introduction: Following acquired brain injury (ABI), individuals often experience anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. BrainACT is an adapted form of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) tailored to this target group. The current study is a trial-based health-economic evaluation comparing BrainACT to a psychoeducation and relaxation control treatment.

Methods: An economic evaluation from a societal perspective was conducted in the Netherlands alongside a multicenter randomized controlled two-armed parallel trial including 72 participants. A cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted where incremental costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and anxiety/depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score) were collected and presented over a 1-year follow-up period. Bootstrapping, scenario, and subgroup analyses were performed to test the robustness of the results.

Results: The BrainACT arm reported non-significant lower total costs (incremental difference of €-4,881; bootstrap interval €-12,139 to €2,330) combined with significantly decreased anxiety/depression (HADS) (3.2; bootstrap intervals 0.7-5.7). However, the total QALYs were non-significantly lower (-0.008; bootstrap interval -0.060 to 0.042) for BrainACT. The probability of the intervention being cost-effective was 86 percent at a willingness-to-accept threshold of €50,000/QALY. The scenario and subgroup analyses confirmed the robustness of the results.

Conclusion: BrainACT may be a more cost-effective alternative to a psychoeducation and relaxation intervention for anxiety and/or depressive symptoms following ABI. Despite limitations, BrainACT appears to be a promising addition to treatment options in the Netherlands. Further research is needed to validate these findings, and consideration should be given to implementing BrainACT in Dutch clinical settings with ongoing monitoring.