Disability, quality of life enjoyment and satisfaction of patients with bipolar affective disorder in remission

Abstract

Bipolar affective disorders (BPAD) can lead to impaired quality of life (QOL) through intense personal suffering and disrupted familial, social and occupational functioning.Self‐report of QOL in patients with BPAD is likely to be influenced by ‘mood bias’ or cognitive distortions regarding self‐concept and functioning. Improving the QOL of patients with BPAD is one of the valued goals of treatment. This study is undertaken with the aim to evaluate quality of life and disability in patients with BPAD in remission. Patients diagnosed with BPAD, currently in remission were taken as subjects for the study. HAM-D and YMRS were applied to assess depression and mania, respectively. Fifty patients who were in remission were included and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire – short form (Q-LES-Q-SF) and IDEAS were applied to evaluate quality of life and disability, respectively. Mean age of the sample was 42±3.55 years. Of the total sample, 29 (58%) were males, and 21 (42%) were females. Statistically significant association was found between number of years spent ill and quality of life (p<0.05), and between number of years spent ill and disability (p<0.05). Short/just significant association was also found between quality of life and disability (p<0.05). No association was found between age at onset of illness and quality of life.Taken together, our results have indicated that many patients with BPAD in remission have significant disability and poorer QOL. There is a need to develop interventions to reduce the disability thereby enhancing the QOL.