Depression and health-related quality of life for low-income African-American women in the US

The health-related quality of life (HRQL) impact of depression for low-income young African-American women has not been quantified. Baseline scores on a generic HRQL measure, the SF-36, from a randomized controlled trial of depression treatments were used as a basis for describing the HRQL of depressed (n = 124) and non-depressed (n = 44) low-income African-American young women. Results were compared to U.S. normative values for well adults and for depressed adults. Relationship between SF-36 scores and demographic variables were examined, and SF-36 scores were compared for those with depression only and those with comorbid anxiety. SF-36 scores were lower for all eight subscales relative to the U.S. norms (p < 0.05) and lower on two subscales relative to a general U.S. depressed sample (p < 0.05). Higher age and higher number of children was associated with poorer scores. Comorbid anxiety was present in 66% of the depressed sample; all SF-36 scores for the sample with comorbid anxiety were significantly lower than scores for subjects with depression alone. Results indicate the substantial HRQL impact of depression among low-income young African-American women with depression.