Association between quality of life and self-stigma, insight, and adverse effects of medication in patients with depressive disorders.
BACKGROUND
The aims of this study were to examine whether different domains of quality of life (QOL) are differently affected by depressive disorders by comparing QOL of subjects with and without depressive disorders, and to examine the association of QOL with self-stigma, insight and adverse effects of medication among subjects with depressive disorders.


METHODS
The QOL on the four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF Taiwan version were compared between the 229 subjects with depressive disorders and 106 control subjects. Among the depressive subjects, the association between the four QOL domains and subjects' self-stigma, insight, and adverse effects of medication were examined using multiple regression analyses by controlling for the influence of depression, socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and family function.


RESULTS
Depressive subjects had poorer QOL on the physical, psychological and social relationship domains than the non-depressive control group. The depressive subjects who had more severe self-stigma had poorer QOL on all four domains. The depressive subjects who perceived more severe adverse effects from medication had poorer QOL on the physical, psychological and environmental domains. However, insight was not associated with any domain of QOL in patients with depressive disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study demonstrate that different domains of QOL are differently affected by depressive disorders, and that clinicians must consider the negative influences of self-stigma and adverse effects from medication on QOL of subjects with depressive disorders.
Yen
Cheng-Fang
CF
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 807.
Chen
Cheng-Chung
CC
Lee
Yu
Y
Tang
Tze-Chun
TC
Ko
Chih-Hung
CH
Yen
Ju-Yu
JY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001364:Awareness; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
D000928:Antidepressive Agents