Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important element of patient care and clinical research. The aim of this study was to describe HRQoL changes and identify associated factors during a 6-month follow-up of outpatients starting care for alcohol or opioid dependence. Methods: HRQoL was measured at baseline and 3 and 6 months later using the SF-12. Data on the patients’ sociodemographics, clinical characteristics and levels of anxiety and depression were collected using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Repeated-measures analyses were performed to assess factors associated with global HRQoL differences and the evolution of HRQoL indicated by both physical and mental scores (PCS and MCS, respectively). Results: The mean PCS and MCS scores were initially low at 45.4 (SD = 8.6) and 36.0 (SD = 10.9), respectively. The improvement in HRQoL was rapid in the first 3-month period and then slowed and remained stable over the subsequent 3-month period. Being employed (p = 0.012), having no comorbidities (p = 0.014) and having no depression (p = 0.004) were associated with significant differences in the average PCS scores at the 3 time points. Patients who had lower overall HRQoL MCS scores on average were those for whom a medication was initiated (p = 0.009), as was the case for patients with anxiety (p < 0.001) and depression (p < 0.001). Patients with depression at baseline were also those for whom a significantly greater increase in MCS score during the 6 months of follow-up was observed. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of screening early psychological distress and considering other factors associated with HRQoL changes in outpatients after the first 3-month period of treatment for substance use disorder.
CITATION STYLE
Simirea, M., Baumann, C., Bisch, M., Rousseau, H., Di Patrizio, P., Viennet, S., & Bourion-Bédès, S. (2022). Health-related quality of life in outpatients with substance use disorder: evolution over time and associated factors. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-022-01935-9
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