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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Loss of interest, depressed mood and impact on the quality of life: Cross-sectional survey

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Author(s):
Guajardo, Valeri D. [1] ; Souza, Bruno P. F. [1] ; Henriques, Sergio G. [1] ; Lucia, Mara C. S. [2] ; Menezes, Paulo R. [3] ; Martins, Milton A. [4] ; Tardivo, Leila S. L. P. C. [5] ; Gattaz, Wagner F. [1] ; Fraguas, Renerio [1]
Total Authors: 9
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Clin Hosp, Inst Psychiat, Dept Psychiat, BR-05403010 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Clin Hosp, Cent Inst, Div Psychol, BR-05403000 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Prevent Med, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Clin Med, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Psychol, Dept Clin Psychol, BR-05508030 Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: BMC PUBLIC HEALTH; v. 11, OCT 25 2011.
Web of Science Citations: 4
Abstract

Background: Depressive symptoms and chronic disease have adverse effects on patients' health-related quality of life (H-RQOL). However, little is known about this effect on H-RQOL when only the two core depressive symptoms - loss of interest and depressed mood - are considered. The objective of this study is to investigate H-RQOL in the presence of loss of interest and depressed mood at a general medical outpatient unit. Methods: We evaluated 553 patients at their first attendance at a general medical outpatient unit of a teaching hospital. H-RQOL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Depressed mood and loss of interest were assessed by the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD)Patient Questionnaire. A physician performed the diagnosis of chronic diseases by clinical judgment and classified them in 13 possible pre-defined categories. We used multiple linear regression to investigate associations between each domain of H-RQOL and our two core depression symptoms. The presence of chronic diseases and demographic variables were included in the models as covariates. Results: Among the 553 patients, 70.5% were women with a mean age of 41.0 years (range 18-85, SD +/- 15.4). Loss of interest was reported by 54.6%, and depressed mood by 59.7% of the patients. At least one chronic disease was diagnosed in 59.5% of patients; cardiovascular disease was the most prevalent, affecting 20.6% of our patients. Loss of interest and depressed mood was significantly associated with decreased scores in all domains of H-RQOL after adjustment for possible confounders. The presence of any chronic disease was associated with a decrease in the domain of vitality. The analysis of each individual chronic disease category revealed that no category was associated with a decrease in more than one domain of H-RQOL. Conclusion: Loss of interest and depressed mood were associated with significant decreases in H-RQOL. We recommend these simple tests for screening in general practice. (AU)