Assessment of quality of life and cognitive dysfunction among patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Introduction Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with high mortality, disability and morbidity. Studies demonstrated mixed results on effects of depression treatments on quality of life (QOL). Objectives To evaluate the severity of depression among Jordanian patients diagnosed with MDD before and after treatment and to find any relationship between QOL, depression severity and perceived cognitive dysfunction. Methods Patients from both genders, 18-65 years old and diagnosed with MDD were included to attend two visits; at baseline and 6 weeks after treatment, in each they completed three questionnaires: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression severity, patient-rated Perceived Deficit Questionnaire (PDQ-5) for cognitive function, and World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) format. Results A total of 92 patients completed the study. The scores of the different questionnaires and their correlations before and after treatment are presented in tables 1 and 2. Correlations between PHQ-9 and PDQ-5 before and after treatment are illustrated in figs 1 and 2, respectively. Table 1: Total scores for WHOQOL-BREF format, PDQ-5 and PHQ-9, before and after treatment Questionnaire Before After P-value General quality of life 2.5±1 3.5±0.7