Quality of life in euthymic patients with unipolar major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder

Objective: This study aimed to compare quality of life (QOL) between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) in remission and patients with bipolar disorder (BD) in remission, and to explore the relationship between QOL and demographic, clinical, and cognitive variables. Methods: This study included 49 euthymic patients with MDD, 59 euthymic patients with BD, and 52 healthy controls (HC). The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) were used to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mania respectively. QOL was assessed with the Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief (WHOQOL-BREF). Cognitive function was assessed with the repeated neuropsychological assessment scale (RBANS). Results: Compared with HC, patients with MDD had lower overall and subdomain scores (except ENVIR) on the WHOQOL-BREF (p<0.05). The BD group had decreased overall WHOQOL-BREF scores and decreased PHYS and SOCIL subdomain scores (p<0.05). PSYCH scores were lower in patients with MDD, compared with patients with BD (p<0.05). Among patients with MDD, HAMD score was negatively correlated with all domains on the WHOQOL-BREF. Marital status was associated with an increase in subdomain scores on the PSYCH and ENVIR subdomains. In the BD group, attention on the RBANS correlated negatively with PSYCH score; age correlated negatively with SOCIL. Conclusions: QOL of patients with MDD and BD in remission is inferior to that of the normal population. QOL among MDD is inferior to that among BD. Marital status was associated with increased QOL among MDD, but not among BD. Residual symptoms related to depression or anxiety decreased QOL in both MDD and BD. More attention should be paid to the QOL of patients with mood disorders, especially MDD, even during euthymic periods.