Use of the quality of well-being self-administered version (QWB-SA) in assessing health-related quality of life in depressed patients

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 76; no. 1; pp. 237 - 247
• Main Authors: Pyne, Jeffrey M, Sieber, William J, David, Kristin, Kaplan, Robert M, Hyman Rapaport, Mark, Keith Williams, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-09-2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cost effectiveness; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Costs and Cost Analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depressive Disorder - complications; Depressive Disorder - economics; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Measurement; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of Life; Quality of Well-Being Scale (QWB); Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Techniques and methods; United States; North America; America; Measurement; Depression; Cost effectiveness; Quality of Well-Being Scale (QWB); Quality of life; Mood disorder; Social environment; Human; Questionnaire; Self evaluation; Prediction; Mental health; Psychometrics; Cost benefit analysis; Test validation; Symptomatology; Follow up study; Health economy; Cross sectional study; Evolution; Severity score; Comparative study; Public health
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-0327(03)00106-X

Background: This study evaluated the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between depression severity and the Quality of Well-Being scale self-administered version (QWB-SA) in subjects diagnosed with current major depression.
Methods: The research design was prospective and observational. Data were collected on a convenience sample of 58 subjects. Additional measures included the Quality of Well-Being scale interviewer-version (interviewer-QWB), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17), Beck Depression Inventory, and each were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, and 4 months postmedication treatment.
Results: Cross-sectional and longitudinal QWB-SA scores were significantly correlated with depression severity and the interviewer-QWB. Treatment response, defined as 50% improvement in HRSD-17, was associated with 0.10 and 0.16 unit changes in the QWB-SA at 4 weeks and 4 months, respectively. The QWB-SA was significantly and negatively correlated with cross-sectional and longitudinal depression severity.
Limitations: The study design was observational and used a convenience sample of subjects.
Conclusions: The QWB-SA is less expensive to administer than the interviewer-QWB and is a useful alternative for determining the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatments for depression relative to other physical and mental illness treatments.