Divalproex sodium versus olanzapine in the treatment of acute mania in bipolar disorder: health-related quality of life and medical cost outcomes

This is a critical abstract of an economic evaluation that meets the criteria for inclusion on NHS EED. Each abstract contains a brief summary of the methods, the results and conclusions followed by a detailed critical assessment on the reliability of the study and the conclusions drawn. Given the comparable clinical and health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes between the two groups, the significant savings in outpatient costs for divalproex is meaningful for the clinical management of bipolar disorder and for the mental health system.