Impact of antidepressant therapy on health-related quality of life: Insights from a community-based study

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to improve mental and overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with depression. However, the impact of different classes of antidepressants on various aspects of HRQoL remains variable. So, it aims to compare the impact of the specific class of antidepressants on the HRQoL of individuals suffering from depression. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 10th January 2025 to 30th May 2025, targeting diagnosed depressive patients aged above 18 visiting the Department of Psychiatry Polyclinic Hospital Islamabad, Pakistan. Prescribed antidepressants were grouped and Short Form Health Survey-12 version-two (SF-12v2) and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) were used for outcome measures. Filled questionnaires were analyzed through SPSS version 26. A total of 26 participants were included in the study with the majority of females (n=15, 57.7%). Single patients (n=16, 61.5%) who had an income of more than 20,000PKR (n=13, 50%) and had secondary education (n=12, 46.1%) represented the majority of the population. 40% of patients on SSRIs showed improvement in PCS-12, while 20% declined and 30% had no change. A higher percentage of patients on SSRIs, SNRIs, and TCAs showed improvement in the EQ-5D dimension levels compared to a decline. Multinomial logistic regression results for patients on antidepressants showed gender as a significant predictor of improvement in all HRQoL domains. Patients on antidepressants showed significant improvements in their HRQoL, especially in categories like mobility, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. The findings reinforce the importance of personalized treatment approaches with suitable antidepressant classes, with monitoring of QoL outcomes in managing depression.