Health-related quality of life in hospitalized non-psychiatric medical patients: The impact of depressive symptoms

Abstract

Purpose: The assessment of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become an essential element in the comprehensive care of patients. In the present study, we aimed to explore the HRQoL in hospitalized non-psychiatric medical patients and assess the impact of depressive symptoms on this construct. Methods: A multicentric, cross-sectional study was conducted across three Hospitals in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The SF-12 was used to assess HRQoL and the depressive subscale of the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS-D) to determine depressive symptoms. Results: The mean value of the Physical Composite Scale (PCS) of the SF-12 was 32.76 ± 10.04, while the Mental Composite Scale (MCS) was 47.83 ± 12.55. Multivariate linear regression revealed that the severity of depressive symptoms (β= -0.65; p〈0.001) and age (β= - 0.14; p〈0.001) were independently associated with the PCS component of SF-12. Furthermore, the severity of depressive symptoms (β= -1.80; p〈0.001) was the only variable significantly related to the MCS component of SF-12. Conclusions: HRQoL in non-psychiatric hospitalized patients is lower than that reported in the general population. Depressive symptoms impair not only the mental but also the physical component of HRQoL.