Measuring health-related quality of life in bipolar disorder: relationship of the EuroQol (EQ-5D) to condition-specific measures.
Generic utility measures of health-related quality of life provide an independent net valuation of health states. They are increasingly used with condition-specific outcome measures in assessing treatments. In Bipolar Disorder, a few studies indicate poorer quality of life for depressed vs. euthymic patients. A single study suggests mania is less negative than depression. This analysis examines the relationship of one such scale, the EuroQol (EQ-5D), to objective and subjective measures of depression and mania in 221 Bipolar subjects, recently or still in an episode of illness.


RESULTS
Depressed patients showed a very poor quality of life (median EQ-5D Index score 0.41). Index and Visual Analogue scores improved significantly as level of depression decreased (Jonckheere-Terpstra test p<0.001). Both scores were significantly negatively related to all depression measures. Patients reported problems across all areas of life covered by the EQ-5D. No such relationships were observed between EQ-5D scores and mania measures, though all mania measures were inter-related. However, the range of mania shown was quite restricted.


CONCLUSIONS
The EQ-5D is a useful measure of quality of life for Bipolar patients suffering from depression. Conclusions about the role of the EQ-5D in mania are restricted by the limited range of mania observed.
Hayhurst
Hazel
H
Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University, Box 189, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK. hmh1000@hermes.cam.ac.uk
Palmer
Stephen
S
Abbott
Rosemary
R
Johnson
Tony
T
Scott
Jan
J
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom