2. In the following sections of my presentation, I
will provide further detail on my research
methods, results, conclusion, and finally my
recommendation.
3. Introduction
• Many teens in the Unites States suffer with anxiety. In
recent years, the number of teens struggling with anxiety
has increased significantly. A national survey of mental
health determined “that about eight percent of teens ages
13-18 have an anxiety disorder” (National Institute of
Mental Health, 2014).
• More teens are looking for treatment. It is important to
pick the right treatment for the right person, especially
when prescribing treatments to people who have not yet
reached adulthood.
• I conducted research that examined the cost, efficacy, and
accessibility of three different methods of treatment. The
methods of treatment I researched were Prozac, Lexapro,
and Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
4. Methods
In order to obtain the information needed to asses
each method of treatment, the project was
organized into four tasks:
1. Find out the cost of each treatment
2. Gather information about each method of
treatment from recent studies
3. Find comments and videos of patients
who have used each method of treatment
4. Analyze data and submit my results
5. Results
Cost
Based on my research, I was able to determine that the average cost of a month supply of 20 mg
of Prozac is around $4-7. The average cost of Lexapro is around $11-14. I also found out that a
session of CBT can cost anywhere from $120-210. However, these prices may vary due to the
person’s insurance provider and insurance plan
Table 1.
Average cost of each treatment method and percentage of cost covered by insurance
Type of Treatment Cost per month/ session
Prozac (20 mg) $4-10
Lexapro (20 mg) $11-14
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy $120-210
Source: GoodRx, Psychology Today
6. Results
Efficacy according to Studies
• Studies of Prozac and CBT on teens had the best
results of improving anxiety symptoms
• A study published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders
examined the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy
(CBT) on children and teens. The study found that teens had
significant improvements in their anxiety symptoms after
receiving CBT (Kerns et al., 2013).
• One study of Prozac on teen anxiety found that 61% of
participants taking Prozac showed improvement (Birmaher
et al., 2003).
8. Results
Reports from Teens that have used each Method of Treatment
• The majority of videos and comments I found of teens sharing their experiences with CBT
had positive experiences with this therapy. The videos teens made about Lexapro and Prozac
did not include as many reports of improvement as cognitive-behavioral therapy.
• One teen said: “I have had enormous success using CBT to keep my anxiety in check, enough
that I enjoy parts of life that I never could before” (Anna B, 2012).
• Most of the videos I found of teens who have taken Lexapro had a mediocre or negative
experiences with the medication. One teen said she would “not recommend Lexapro to
anyone” (RGsDevilship, 2012).
9. Conclusion
Cost
• Compared to CBT and Lexapro, Prozac would be the least expensive
treatment method. The average cost of Prozac is around $4-7 for a
monthly supply, while the cost of Lexapro is around $11-14 and a session
of CBT is about $120-210. Although the average cost of Prozac is cheaper,
the price may vary depending on the pharmacy and the insurance
provider of the person who will be purchasing the medication.
Efficacy according to Studies
• CBT and Prozac were both effective treatment methods for teens according to
studies
Reports from Teens
• According to teens who reported their experiences with each method of treatment,
teens saw the most improvement in their anxiety with CBT.
10. Recommendation
Based on my research, I was unable to generalize a treatment method that
would be the most effective, cost efficient, and accessible for teens with
anxiety. I was unable to makes this recommendation for three main reasons:
• The total cost of the medication can differ depending on the amount
of time a person will have to take the medication or attend therapy.
The cost can also change depending on the person’s insurance
provider and insurance plan.
• Some teens may need a combination of talk-therapy and medication
to effectively treat their anxiety
• The type of treatment that would be best suited for teens with anxiety
can differ based on the severity of the teens anxiety and the teen’s
medical history.
11. References
Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents (Fact Sheet). (2014, January 1). Retrieved March 4, 2015, from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders-in-children-and-adolescents/index.shtml
The National Institute of Mental Health website offers information about different mental disorders and treatment methods. I
looked into the information the site provided about anxiety disorders and the clinical trials of different treatments on teens with
anxiety. The section about anxiety disorders also includes a link to a pdf of a fact sheet that includes statistics and results of surveys
of people with anxiety. I used this website to find statistics of teens with anxiety in the Unites States and included this information
in my introduction. The source could also be useful to people who want to identify symptoms of anxiety.
B, Anna. (2012, Dec 19). When anxiety interrupts a child’s life [Web log comment] Retrieved from
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/helping-children-gain-control-over-an-anxiety-disorder/?_r=0
Birmaher, B., Axelson, D. A., Monk, K., Kalas, C., Clark, D. B., Ehmann, M.,& Brent, D. A. (2003). Fluoxetine for the treatment of
childhood anxiety disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(4), 415-423.
This article documents a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. The researchers
of the study tested the efficacy of fluoxetine (Prozac) on children and teens with anxiety. The participants were randomly assigned
to either take fluoxetine or a placebo. The effects of the medication were recorded after 12 weeks by an intent-to-treat analysis. I
used this article in the results section of my report. I used the data from this study to provide an efficacy measure of Prozac on
treating teens with anxiety.
Consumer Reports: Generic drug prices vary by store (2013).CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 28, 2015, from
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/consumer-reports-generic-drug-prices-vary-by-store/
This article covers a news story that investigates the cost of prescription drugs. The source explains that more and more people
around the United States are avoiding refilling their prescriptions because of the high cost. The article lists the cost of several
popular medications and explains that prices can vary significantly based on the pharmacy where the medication is purchased. I
used this source in the results section of my report to discuss the cost of each method of treatment.
12. David, D., Lupu, V., Sava, F. A., Szentagotai, A., & Yates, B. T. (2009). Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of cognitive therapy, rational
emotive behavioral therapy, and fluoxetine (Prozac) in treating depression: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical
Psychology, 65, 36.
In this article, researchers compared the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of talk-therapy and Prozac. The study performed a
randomized clinical trial of each treatment for 14 weeks on a sample of 170 clients. The study used the Beck Depression Inventory
(BDI) to obtain anxiety scores of clients before and after treatment. These scores were then compared to the cost of each method
of treatment. I used the results of this study in the results section of my report. I used it provide information about the cost of
talk-therapy and Prozac.
Escitalopram (Lexapro). (2015). Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://www.goodrx.com/escitalopram/price
Fluoxetine (Prozac) (2015). Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://www.goodrx.com/prozac/price
Kerns, C. M., Read, K. L., Klugman, J., & Kendall, P. C. (2013). Cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with social anxiety: Differential
short and long-term treatment outcomes. Journal Of Anxiety Disorders, 27(2), 210-215. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.01.009
Lusk, P., & Melnyk, B. M. (2013). COPE for depressed and anxious teens: A brief cognitive‐behavioral skills building intervention
to increase access to timely, evidence‐based treatment. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 26,
31. doi:10.1111/jcap.12017
COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) is a treatment program for depressed and anxious teens that divides
therapy into 30 minute outpatient sessions. The article discusses the goals of this program and the lessons that would be taught
in each session. The article also discusses how this type of therapy program would be particularly beneficial to teens. I used this
article to emphasis the growing population of teens with anxiety in my introduction. I used information from this article that
stated how many teens are dealing with a mental disorder nationwide.
Psychology Today Therapists (2002). Retrieved from
https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_detail.php?profid=74241&sid=1429079470.4133_25942&city=Houston&count
y=Harris&state=TX&spec=293&tr=ResultsName
RGsDevilship. (2012, Dec 16). Life after Lexapro [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIX9ccjeF30
