[Spouses' health-related quality of life evaluation of elderly patients with depression]

To assess and compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of spouses living at home with a patient aged 65 years or more suffering from a major depressive disorder and that of matched controls. Secondly, to investigate whether the HRQoL of spouses was correlated with the assessment of their partner's depression, their own depression and the self-perceived level of care burden experienced by the caregiver partner.

Assessment of patients was based on the clinical diagnosis of a major depressive disorder as established by the criteria of the DSM-IV-TR, the geriatric depression scale GDS-15 and the LEIPAD questionnaire specific to subjects aged 65 or over living at home. Spouses were assessed by GDS-15, the Zarit scale for assessing caregiver burden and the LEIPAD questionnaire. The HRQoL of controls, who were matched for age, sex and educational level, was assessed by LEIPAD.

The study sample (n=38) was made up of 19 patients (mean age of 76.6 years, standard deviation 8.1) and their spouses (mean age of 75.3 years, standard deviation 8.2). The HRQoL score of the spouses was significantly poorer for the scale "Sexual functioning" (P=0.0007) than that of controls and was negatively affected by their partner's depression (P=0.02). The HRQoL scores of the spouses for "Physical function", "Depression and anxiety" and "Sexual functioning" were negatively affected by their own depression (correlation coefficients r=0.50, 0.53 and 0.54, respectively). The HRQoL scores for "Self-care", "Sexual functioning" and "Life satisfaction" were also negatively affected in spouses by the self-perceived burden of care (correlation coefficients r=0.59, 0.57 and 0.51, respectively).

The sexual quality of life of spouses of elderly patients suffering from a major depressive disorder was significantly impaired. The patients' and spouses' depression and the caregivers' burden also had a negative impact on several aspects of the HRQoL of the spouses. It seems to be important, therefore, to assess the mental state, care burden and HRQoL of spouses caring for elderly patients suffering from depression so as to offer help when required to partners in difficulty.