Quality of Life Measurement Tools in Interventions for Anxiety and Depressive Disorders: A Systematic Literature Review in Global Settings
TL;DR
In general, interventions showed that physical activity has a positive impact on QoL, particularly in the psychological and social domains, but standardization of culturally sensitive QoL measurements is needed to improve the validity and comparability of global findings.
Abstract
Abstract Anxiety and depression Disorders play a crucial role in the global disease burden and impose significant effects. Depression markedly impacts psychosocial functioning and quality of life. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of mental health interventions is generally assessed through symptom reduction, the use of QoL as a patient-centered outcome is still not standardized. This systematic review aims to identify QoL instruments used in anxiety and depression interventions and analyze variations in their application in various global contexts. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines and prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251109799). Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Embase.com, Scopus, and APA PsycInfo. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 17 studies were included in the final review. Interventions included psychotherapy, mindfulness, and body-based therapy, digital interventions, pharmacotherapy, and combined approaches. The most frequently used QoL instruments were SF-36/SF-12, EQ-5D, and WHOQOL-BREF. In general, interventions showed that physical activity has a positive impact on QoL, particularly in the psychological and social domains. However, instrument heterogeneity, the dominance of self-reports, and cultural context limitations were major challenges. Standardization of culturally sensitive QoL measurements is needed to improve the validity and comparability of global findings.