Depressive symptoms and quality of life

Questionnaires about symptoms of depression and quality of life were mailed to 2% (n=775) of the population in a psychiatric catchment area in central Sweden. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was found to be 10-20%, with the prevalence of clinical depression estimated to be 3-6%. People reporting symptoms of suspected depressive disorder also reported lower quality of life than those without this constellation of symptoms. Group differences were observed on each of the nine scales used to assess quality of life. A negative correlation between number of depressive symptoms and reported quality of life was also observed. Problems associated with the use of self-rating scales are discussed. It is suggested that, despite inherent limitations, quality of life measures might be used to monitor therapy progress and that they could be used in the early detection of individuals at risk for depression.