Beyond the Hamilton Depression Scores in Long-Term Treatment of Manic-Melancholic Patients: Prediction of Recurrence of Depression by Quality of Life Measurements

This study should be considered as a pilot study to investigate the applicability and validity of quality of life scales in manic-melancholic patients in long-term, prophylactic treatment. The quality of life instruments included the SmithKline Beecham Quality of Life (SBQOL) scale, the PCASEE questionnaire (a modified paper-and-pencil version of the computerized SBQOL), the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) scale, and the Medical Outcomes Study (SF-36) scale. The patients (n = 23) fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria of bipolar or recurrent depressive disorders. They were investigated in a symptom-free period (HAM-D < 14) and again 4 weeks later. The results showed that the quality of life scales had an adequate applicability and internal validity. Furthermore, at first visit a factor analysis identified two factors of which the quality of life scales loaded on the first factor (positive well-being) and the Hamilton scales loaded on the second factor (negative well-being). At the second visit, only one, general, factor emerged, because some of the patients had relapsed. Those patients with a relapse had low quality of life scores at the first visit indicating that the quality of life scales can predict recurrence of depression.