Subjective quality of life: validity issues with depressed patients.
OBJECTIVE
To compare depressed patients at different stages of illness and healthy controls on objective and subjective quality of life (QOL) measures and to determine the responsiveness of subjective QOL ratings to change in depression.


METHODS
A cohort of 56 depressed in-patients was followed-up for up to 16 months after discharge and compared with 56 age-/sex-matched community controls. Assessment included the SCAN-PSE-10 and the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile.


RESULTS
Marked between-group differences were found on self-esteem and global and illness-related QOL ratings. In the patient sample, these measures were also strongly responsive to changes in depression status over time. In contrast, group differences and responsiveness to change for ratings from illness-farer domains were missing.


CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed no evidence for a globally biased negative evaluation of subjective QOL by depressed patients. It is suggested that in depressed samples subjective QOL scores should be interpreted on individual rather than on aggregated life domain levels.
Kuehner
Christine
C
Division of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results