A HIV compartmental transmission model simulated screening and treatment for alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder in KwaZulu-Natal, for the general population and for key populations including female sex workers and men who have sex with men. Depression screening with behavioural treatment was the most cost-effective general-population strategy at $480 per QALY gained, and combined alcohol and depression screening with behavioural and pharmacological treatment averted 179,560 infections by 2030 at $2,980 per QALY. Targeting female sex workers gave $490 per QALY.
Why it is interesting: Puts a cost-per-QALY figure on mental health treatment through its modelled effect on HIV transmission rather than on mental illness outcomes.