Abstract
Although Quality of Life in patients with Mood Disorders has been widely investigated, there are very few studies that examine the relationship between quality of life and subthreshold affective symptoms. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between mood spectrum and subjective quality of life in the general population. A sample of 200 healthy subjects was recruited from the general population. None of the subjects were treated with psychotropic medications or were receiving psychotherapy at the time of the assessments. Subjects were 22–55 years old. The mean age was 33.56 years. Subjects rated themselves on the ‘Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire’ (Q-LES-Q) and the ‘Self-Report Questionnaire for Mood Spectrum’ (MOODS-SR). We found a statistically significant correlation between Q-LES-Q total score and MOODS-SR total score (r=−0.43; p <0.001) and between Q-LES-Q total score and depressive symptoms-related subtotal score of MOODS-SR (r=−0.35; p < 0.001), but not between Q-LES-Q total score and manic symptoms-related subtotal score of MOODS-SR. Our data suggests that subjects who report subthreshold affective symptomatology also report a low degree of enjoyment and satisfaction from life. The depressive aspects of the mood spectrum seem to have the greatest negative influence.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
LL Judd PJ Schettler HS Akiskal (2002) ArticleTitleThe prevalence, clinical relevance, and public health significance of subthreshold depressions. Psychiatr Clin North Am 25 685–698
LL Judd HS Akiskal (2003) ArticleTitleThe prevalence and disability of bipolar spectrum disorders in the US population: Reanalysis of the ECA database taking into account subthreshold cases. J Affect Disord 73 123–131
NK Leidy C Palmer M Murray J Robb DA Revicky (1998) ArticleTitleHealth-related quality of life assessment in euthymic and depressed patients with bipolar disorder. Psychometric performance of four self-report measures. J Affect Disord 48 207–214
DP Wheatley M Moffaert Particlevan L Timmerman CM Kremer (1998) ArticleTitleMirtazapine: Efficacy and tolerability in comparison with fluoxetine in patients with moderate to severe major depressive disorder. J Clin Psychiatr 59 306–312
DQ Barge-Schaapveld NA Nicolson J Berkhof MW deVries (1999) ArticleTitleQuality of life in depression: Daily life determinants and variability. Psychiatr Res 29 173–189
H Rudolf S Priebe (1999) ArticleTitleSubjective quality of life in female in-patients with depression: A longitudinal study. Int J Soc Psychiatr 45 238–246
J Tsevat PE Keck RW Hornung SL McElroy (2000) ArticleTitleHealth values of patients with bipolar disorder. Qual Life Res 9 579–586
MA Namjoshi DP Buesching (2001) ArticleTitleA review of the health-related quality of life literature in bipolar disorder. Qual Life Res 10 105–115
JM Pyne D Bullock RM Kaplan et al. (2001) ArticleTitleHealth-related quality-of-life measure enhances acute treatment response prediction in depressed inpatients. J Clin Psychiatr 62 261–268
C Voyta B Kinosian H Glick L Altshuler MS Bauer (2001) ArticleTitleSelf-reported quality of life across mood states in bipolar disorder. Compr Psychiatr 42 190–195
A Kusznir RG Cooke LT Young (2002) ArticleTitleThe correlates of community functioning in patients with bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord 61 81–85
G Lisio ParticleDe I Maremmani G Perugi GB Cassano J Delitto HS Akiskal (1986) ArticleTitleImpairment of work and leisure in depressed outpatients. A preliminary communication J Affect Disord 10 79–84
Sheehan DV, Janavs J, Baker R, Harnett-Sheehan K, Knapp E, Sheehan M. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). Tampa: University of South Florida Institute for Research in Psychiatry; Paris: INSERM – Hopital de la Salpétrière, 1994.
RL Spitzer JBW Williams M Gibbon (1987) Instruction manual for the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID, 4/1/87 revision) Biometrics Research Department, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York
J Endicott J Nee W Harrison R Blumenthal (1993) ArticleTitleQuality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire: A New Measure. Psychopharmachol Bull 29 321–326
L Dell’Osso A Armani P Rucci et al. (2002) ArticleTitleMeasuring mood spectrum: Comparison of interview (SCI-MOODS) and self-report (MOODS-SR) instruments. Compr Psychiatr 43 69–73
A Fagiolini L Dell’Osso S Pini et al. (1999) ArticleTitleValidity and reliability of a new instrument for assessing mood symptomatology: The Structured Clinical Interview for Mood Spectrum (SCI-MOODS). Int J Meth Psych Res 8 71–81
GB Cassano L Dell’Osso E Frank et al. (1999) ArticleTitleThe bipolar spectrum: A clinical reality in search of diagnostic criteria and an assessment methodology. J Affect Disord 54 319–328
R Pukrop HJ Möller (2000) ArticleTitleQuality of life in psychiatry: A systematic contribution to construct validation and the development the integrative assessment tool ‘‘modular system for quality of life’’. Eur Arch Psychiatr Clin Neurosci 250 120–132
M Mogotsi D Kaminer DJ Stein (2000) ArticleTitleQuality of life in the anxiety disorders. Harv Rev Psychiatr 8 273–282
E Pirfo A Pellegrino R Russo (2000) Il concetto di Qualità della Vita per pazienti di un Dipartimento di Salute Mentale S Fassino P Leombruni GG Rovera (Eds) La Qualità della Vita. Percorsi Psicologici, Biomedici e Transculturali Centro Scientifico Editore Torino 375–381
HC Rubin MH Rapaport B Levine et al. (2000) ArticleTitleQuality of well being in panic disorder: The assessment of psychiatric and general disability. J Affect Disord 57 217–221
D Lester (2001) ArticleTitleQuality of life for children and suicide rates Psychol Rep 89 616
M Ruggeri G Bisoffi L Fontecedro (2001) ArticleTitleSubjective and objective dimensions of quality of life in psychiatric patients: A factor analytical approach. Brit J Psychiatr 178 268–275
J Russo P Roy-Byrne D Reeder et al. (1997) ArticleTitleLongitudinal assessment of quality of life in acute psychiatric inpatients: Reliability and validity. J Nerv Ment Dis 185 166–175
M Ritsner R Kurs H Kostizky A Ponizovsky I Modai (2002) ArticleTitleSubjective quality of life in severely mentally ill patients: A comparison of two instruments. Qual Life Res 11 553–561
B Carpiniello G Lai CM Pariante MG Carta N Rudas (1997) ArticleTitleSymptoms, standards of living and subjective quality of life: A comparative study of schizophrenic and depressed out-patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 96 235–241 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1c%2FhtVCgsQ%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9350950
AF Lehman (1983) ArticleTitleThe well-being of chronic mental patients: Assessing their quality of life Arch Gen Psychiatr 40 369–373
K Skantze U Malm SJ Dencker PR May P Corrigan (1992) ArticleTitleComparison of quality of life with standard of living in schizophrenic out-patients Br J Psychiatr 161 797–801 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByyC3s%2FivF0%3D Occurrence Handle1483165
EM Crimmins MD Hayward Y Saito (1996) ArticleTitleDifferentials in active life expectancy in the older population of the United States. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 51 111–120
C Kelleher A Timoney S Friel D McKeown (2002) ArticleTitleIndicators of deprivation, voting patterns, and health status at area level in the Republic of Ireland. J Epidemiol Community Health 56 36–44
JE Jayasuriya (1982) ArticleTitlePopulation change and educational development. Bull Unesco Reg Off Educ Asia Pac 23 1–22
DA Snowdon SK Ostwald RL Kane (1989) ArticleTitleEducation, survival, and independence in elderly Catholic sisters, 1936–1988. Am J Epidemiol 130 999–1012
BN Sarkar (1989) ArticleTitleFertility level changes in India. Janasamkhya 7 103–119
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Goracci, A., Martinucci, M., Scalcione, U. et al. Quality of life and subthreshold affective symptoms. Qual Life Res 14, 905–909 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-1596-y
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-1596-y