Factors associated with subjective quality of life in Korean patients with depressive disorders: the CRESCEND study

A number of studies suggest that depression is associated with the significant disability and the poorer subjective quality
of life (QOL). We aimed to assess subjective QOL in Korean patients with depression and explore the factors (sociodemographic
characteristics and clinical features) associated with subjective QOL.

We obtained the data from 808 depressive patients who entered the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study
and evaluated the relationship between subjective QOL and personal sociodemographics, and various clinical features, including
depressive severity, and subjective QOL. We assessed subjective QOL using the 26-item abbreviated version of the World Health
Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument.

Decrements in patients’ physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment domains of subjective
QOL were all strongly associated with the greater depressive symptom severity. After controlling for age and depressive symptom
severity, the lower subjective QOL was independently related to being divorced or separated, the less monthly household income,
and having no religious practices.

Our results suggest the importance of sociodemographic characteristics in addition to symptoms for the understanding of subjective
QOL in depressed patients. The prospective studies to compare the different treatments’ effects on various subjective QOL
domains are needed.