Evaluation of quality of life in adults with chronic health conditions: the role of depressive symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
The negative impact of depressive symptoms on quality of life has been the focus of increasing attention, yet this relation remains unstudied in samples from developing countries. The objective of this study was to determine whether the occurrence of depressive symptoms is associated with impaired quality of life and whether this association remains significant after adjustment for some variables.


METHODS
A convenience sample was selected and the measures used were the WHOQOL-100, to assess quality of life, the Beck Depression Inventory, to screen for depressive symptoms, and the Economic Classification Criterion - Brazil, to evaluate socioeconomic status.


RESULTS
One hundred nineteen healthy adults (community) and 122 adult patients (tertiary hospital) from Brazil were assessed. Depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with all the domains of quality of life, even after statistical control for age, socioeconomic status, and presence of chronic health conditions. Socioeconomic status was positively correlated with the social relationships and environmental domains of quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate that depressive symptoms and socioeconomic status are important elements affecting the relationship between chronic health conditions and quality of life in Brazil.
Rocha
Neusa Sica da
NS
Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. neusa-rocha@via-rs.net
Fleck
Marcelo P
MP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult