title: Quality of life and the anxiety disorders.
abstract: Quality of life (QoL) is a concept that has become increasingly used in mental health care. Recent studies have compared the impact of different anxiety disorders on different domains of QoL; however, instruments generally used to assess QoL in this population have varying specificity, considerable redundancy, and occasionally inappropriate content. Three hundred and sixty consecutive admissions to an anxiety disorders clinic were assessed. Participants and clinicians completed a number of QoL measures. Results indicated that impairment measures designed for use with anxiety-disordered samples in fact assess only occupational functioning and relationships and activities outside of occupation, and that individuals with Social Phobia (SP) were more impaired on the latter than those with Panic Disorder (PD). Furthermore, only Social Phobia accounted for unique variance in the three Medical Outcome Study Health Survey (MOS) subscales relevant to quality of life. Of the MOS subscales relevant to symptoms, mood regulation, physical functioning, and pain were associated with compromised overall QoL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ont. Canada N2L 3G1. lcquilty@watarts.uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: Lena C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Quilty
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Ameringen
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oakman
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farvolden
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D009864:Ontario; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment