title: Assessment of Quality of Life (QOL) in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Dysthymic Disorder (DD): A Comparative Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is paucity of data on Quality of Life (QOL) in non-psychotic mental disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the Quality of Life (QOL) in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and compare it with Dysthymic Disorder (DD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 patients each diagnosed to have OCD and DD during October 2009 to September 2011 in a medical institution in Davanagere, Karnataka, India. DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic statistical manual-IV-Text Revised) criteria was used for diagnosis of OCD and DD. Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and WHO QOL BREF (brief form) scales were used. Data was analysed by independent sample t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall QOL score was 51.07(SD=11.47) and 50.91(SD=7.41) in OCD and DD groups respectively. QOL score was comparatively low in psychological domain with score of 44.12(SD=14.14) and 45.10(12.35) in OCD and DD respectively. There was no significant difference in the QOL score of the two groups with respect to socio demographic variables in OCD group, but it was different with respect to place of residence in DD group (p<0.05). In Q1(perception on quality of life) and Q2 (perception on quality of health) domain, QOL score was marginally higher than average in both the groups. In Y-BOCS scale, no statistical significant association was found between severity of OCD and QOL score in each of the domains (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall QOL score was average and there was no significant difference of QOL score between the OCD and DD groups implying that both these non-psychotic mental disorders may have same influence or effect on QOL of the subjects. Further analytical studies will explore the associated factors of QOL in OCD and DD.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, KVG Medical College , Sullia, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Roopesh Gopal Nariyandada
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Vasudev
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Psychiatry, JJM Medical College , Davanagere, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Sudarshan Chikkanayakanahalli
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yallappa
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical, Education and Research (JIPMER) , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Ganesh Kumar
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Saya
keywords: QOL score; WHO QOL BREF; Y-BOCS Scale