Relative impact of Axis I mental disorders on quality of life among adults in the community.

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the relative impact of different mental disorders on adult quality of life (QOL). This study estimated associations between several mental disorders and QOL in a representative American community sample.

METHODS

The QOL instrument was administered to 640 adult participants in the Children in the Community Study, a population-based longitudinal study. DSM-Axis I and Axis II mental disorder diagnoses were assessed by psychiatric interview.

RESULTS

Poorer QOL was strongly associated with having a mood disorder, especially major depression disorder (MDD) (effect size, ES = -0.57, p < 0.01), whereas poorer quality social relationships were associated with having dysthymia and bipolar disorders (ES = -0.92, p < 0.01; ES = -0.80, p < 0.05, respectively). Most anxiety disorders were not independently related to QOL with the exception of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which was significantly related to poorer physical health (ES = -0.78, p < 0.01) and psychological well-being (ES = -0.73, p < 0.01) and to less overall QOL (ES = -0.57, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

MDD and PTSD are independently related to impaired QOL and dysthymia and bipolar disorder negatively influence social relationships.