title: Quality of life in patients with depression, panic syndrome, other anxiety syndrome, alcoholism and chronic somatic diseases: a longitudinal study in Slovenian primary care patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the correlates between the quality of life and chronic diseases and socio-demographic characteristics of patients in family medicine with a special emphasis on depression, panic syndrome, other anxiety syndrome and alcoholism.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a longitudinal study, the data set of 516 family practice attendees recruited from 60 family practices was analysed. Depression, panic syndrome, other anxiety syndrome and alcoholism were diagnosed using appropriate diagnostic interviews. Quality of life was assessed using the SF-12 questionnaire, measuring a mental health score and a physical health score. Data about the number of chronic somatic diseases were obtained from the patients' medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical health score was negatively associated with higher age (β = -0.25, p < 0.001), depression (β = -0.20, p < 0.001) and number of chronic somatic diseases (β = -0.10, p < 0.016) and positively associated with higher education level (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), single marital status (β = 0.09, p < 0.022) and better financial status (β = 0.14, p < 0.001). Linear regression explained 31.8 % of the variance (R(2) = 0.318; p < 0.001). Similarly, mental health score was negatively associated with depression (β = -0.45, p < 0.001) and panic syndrome (β = -0.07, p < 0.001) and positively associated with male gender (β = 0.10, p < 0.015) and better financial status (β = 0.13, p < 0.001). Linear regression explained 45.5 % of the variance (R (2) = 0.455; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In family medicine, special attention should be directed to major depression, panic syndrome and number of chronic somatic diseases as they are associated with poorer quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Poljanski nasip 58, Ljubljana, Slovenia. cerne.anja@gmail.com
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerne
authors.forename: Janez
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rifel
authors.forename: Danica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rotar-Pavlic
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Svab
authors.forename: Polona
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Selic
authors.forename: Janko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kersnik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D017524:Slovenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult