Mood disorders and quality of life. A community study

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between different quality of life sub-indexes and various mood disorders. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the relationship between quality of life and clinical conditions within the whole realm of mood disorders, past and present. Methods: More than 2000 persons between 18 and 65 years old from the community were studied. DSM-III-R diagnoses were assessed by the structured interview Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Quality of life included seven aspects: Subjective well-being, Self-realization; Contact with friends, Support if ill, Absence of negative life events, Contact with family of origin; Neighbourhood quality, and a composite score; Global quality of life. Results: Reduced quality of life was observed among persons with all kinds of mood disorders the previous year. That was also the case for previous mood disorders, especially bipolar and dysthymic disorder. Those with present psychotic major depression and past bipolar disorder had the most reduced quality of life. Among the sub-indexes, subjective well-being was most affected by mood disorders, followed by negative life events and lack of social support. The relationships did not disappear when controlled for socio-demographic factors and somatic health. Limitations: We do not know whether our results can be fully generalized to severe patient populations. Conclusion: Mood disorders, current as well as in remission, are related to a number of aspects of reduced quality of life.