Depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in patients attending government – owned psychiatric clinics in Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose Depression and its symptoms negatively influence the health-related quality of life of patients. This paper aims to explore the occurrence of depressive symptoms and their relationship with health-related quality of life and sociodemographic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach It was a cross-sectional study conducted among patients attending the outpatient psychiatric clinics of two Nigerian hospitals. Data were collected using sociodemographic, PHQ-9 and 15 D questionnaires from a convenience sample of patients. Statistical Product and Services Solution Software (SPSS) version 21.0 was used to evaluate depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, sociodemographic characteristics and the associations among them. Findings The mean depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life scores were found to be 12.118 ± 4.373 and 0.829 ± 0.141, respectively. The result showed a significant negative correlation (r = −0.318, p < 0.001) between respondents’ depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life. Patients with comorbid conditions reported a significantly higher level of depressive symptoms (p = 0.002) and lower health-related quality of life (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the mean health-related quality of life of the respondents across their level of education and marital status. Originality/value Depressive symptoms are a common occurrence in psychiatric conditions. This study provides an insight into the associations between depressive symptoms, socio-demographic factors and the health-related quality of life of psychiatric patients in a low-income country.