The usefulness of the EQ-5D in differentiating among persons with major depressive episode and anxiety

Background Major depressive episodes (MDE) and anxiety disorders are associated with significantly lower health-related quality of life (HRQL). The present study explores the ability of the EQ-5D HRQL measure to differentiate among those with a clinical diagnosis of MDE and/or anxiety disorders. Methods Data were collected as part of the Alberta Mental Health Survey (2003). MDE and anxiety were defined by DSM-IV using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I). Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were used to examine associations between EQ-5D scores and mental health diagnoses. Results The prevalence for diagnoses (and proportion within each group reporting problems on the Anxiety/Depression domain) were: MDE alone 2.6% (48.6%); anxiety disorders alone 11.2% (38.9%); MDE and anxiety 5.2% (81.1%); and neither 80.9% (8.2%), respectively. Adjusted mean EQ-Index and EQ-VAS scores were shown to be significantly lower among those with MDE and anxiety disorders (0.70, 64.2), followed by those with MDE alone (0.83, 70.8) and anxiety disorders alone (0.84, 76.7), when compared with subjects with none of these conditions. Conclusions Reporting problems on the EQ-5D Anxiety/Depression domain was more common among subjects with MDE alone than anxiety disorders alone. Other domains of the EQ-5D did identify the burden of co-morbid mental health conditions, but not as well as the Anxiety/Depression domain.