Predictors of Health-Related Quality-of-Life Utilities Among Persons With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Objectives:

This study had two objectives: to elicit preferences for current health in a sample of persons with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD ) in order to establish quality-of-life estimates for this disorder and to identify symptoms and problems that predict these estimates.

Methods:

The authors used the standard gamble (SG), time tradeoff (TTO), and visual analog scale (VAS) methods for quality-of-life estimation at baseline among 184 individuals with chronic PTSD who were participating in a multisite clinical trial. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize quality-of-life estimates for the sample. A linear mixed-effects regression model was conducted to evaluate predictors of quality of life.

Results:

The modal participant was a single, white female (77%). The mean±SD age of the sample was 37.31±11.33. On a scale where full health is 1.0 and death is 0.0, mean quality-of-life estimates for living with PTSD were .87±.25, .66±.28, and .64±.20 for SG, TTO, and VAS, respectively. Linear mixed-effects model regression revealed that elicitation method (SG, TTO, and VAS), arousal (a symptom of PTSD), and endorsement of anxiety or depressive symptoms were the strongest predictors of lower quality-of-life scores. Avoidance and re-experiencing of trauma were not predictive of reduced quality of life.

Conclusions:

Significant decrements in health-related quality of life were found among persons seeking treatment for PTSD. Although arousal and anxiety and depressive symptoms were predictive of quality-of-life estimates, avoidance and re-experiencing were not. These findings identify targets for symptom resolution that may improve quality of life among persons with PTSD. (Psychiatric Services 62:272–277, 2011)