Exploring the Relationship between Quality of Life (EQ-5D) and Clinical Measures in Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Published in: Applied Research in Quality of Life Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 409 - 424
• Main Authors: Pulay, Attila J., Bitter, István, Papp, Szilvia, Gulácsi, László, Péntek, Márta, Brodszky, Valentin, Hevér, Noémi V., Rencz, Fanni, Baji, Petra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Age; Anxiety disorders; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Comorbidity; Cross-sectional studies; Gender; Health services utilization; Hyperactivity; Impulsivity; Indexes; Measures; Mental disorders; Personality disorders; Physicians; Political Science; Population; Productivity; Quality of life; Quality of Life Research; Questionnaires; Self report; Social Sciences; Sociology; EQ-5D; Adult ADHD; CAARS; EQ VAS; Quality of life
• ISSN: 1871-2584; 1871-2576
• DOI: 10.1007/s11482-016-9467-6

Objective To explore the association between quality of life (QoL) and clinical measures in patients with adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); as well as assess the work impairment related to the disease. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted in an outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Hungary between 2011–2013 ( n  = 75). QoL was measured by the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D). Associations between EQ-5D and clinical measures such as physician’s assessment on a visual analogue scale (physician-VAS), Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (CGI-S), and Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) subscores were assessed by Spearman-correlation and linear regression models. Productivity loss was estimated using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI) questionnaire. Results The mean EQ-5D index and EQ VAS scores were 0.74( SD  = 0.22) and 69.5( SD  = 19.4), significantly lower than the scores of the age-matched general population. Significant correlations were found between EQ-5D index and clinical measures. No correlation was found between CAARS and physician-VAS, CGI-S. The regression models explained 44.0 % of the EQ-5D index variance. The productivity loss was estimated to 47.5 %. Conclusion To our knowledge, this study is the first to analyze the relationship between EQ-5D and clinical measures in adult ADHD in real world practice. Significant correlation between EQ-5D and the clinical measures suggests that EQ-5D is a sensitive measure of the health impairment related to ADHD and psychiatric co-morbidities, thus it contributes to a better understanding of the burden of adult ADHD. The lack of association between the CAARS and physicians’ measures requires further research.