title: Predictors of health-related quality-of-life utilities among persons with posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study had two objectives: to elicit preferences for current health in a sample of persons with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD ) in order to establish quality-of-life estimates for this disorder and to identify symptoms and problems that predict these estimates.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used the standard gamble (SG), time tradeoff (TTO), and visual analog scale (VAS) methods for quality-of-life estimation at baseline among 184 individuals with chronic PTSD who were participating in a multisite clinical trial. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize quality-of-life estimates for the sample. A linear mixed-effects regression model was conducted to evaluate predictors of quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The modal participant was a single, white female (77%). The mean ± SD age of the sample was 37.31 ± 11.33. On a scale where full health is 1.0 and death is 0.0, mean quality-of-life estimates for living with PTSD were .87 ±.25, .66 ± .28, and .64 ± .20 for SG, TTO, and VAS, respectively. Linear mixed-effects model regression revealed that elicitation method (SG, TTO, and VAS), arousal (a symptom of PTSD), and endorsement of anxiety or depressive symptoms were the strongest predictors of lower quality-of-life scores. Avoidance and re-experiencing of trauma were not predictive of reduced quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant decrements in health-related quality of life were found among persons seeking treatment for PTSD. Although arousal and anxiety and depressive symptoms were predictive of quality-of-life estimates, avoidance and re-experiencing were not. These findings identify targets for symptom resolution that may improve quality of life among persons with PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, 1540 East Alcazar St., CHP140, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA. jdoctor@usc.edu
authors.forename: Jason N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Doctor
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zoellner
authors.forename: Norah C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Feeny
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States