Investigating the relationship between quality of life and personality dimensions in serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressant drugs users

Measuring the quality of life of psychiatric patients provides useful information for planning and evaluating of therapeutic strategies. Personality is an important factor in quality of life. But which cognitive and emotional dimensions of quality of life are more relevant in serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressant drugs users?

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between quality of life and cognitive and emotional personality dimensions of Cloninger in serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressant drugs users.

This is a descriptive-correlational study. The Short form of Quality of Life of Ware and Sherbourne (SF-36) (1992) and Temperament and Character Inventory of Cloninger (TCI-56) (1994) questionnaires were used as the research instruments. In this study, a group of 37 patients with major depressive disorder using serotonin reuptake inhibitors drugs, were selected by available sampling method. In order to analyze the data, Multiple Regression Analysis and Spearman Correlation Coefficient test were used.

The results of correlation coefficient showed that there is a significant relationship between Cloninger personality dimensions and quality of life dimensions. (p<0/05). And the results of multiple regression indicate that among the cognitive dimensions of personality, self-directedness positively and among the emotional dimensions of personality, harm avoidance negatively able to predict the quality of life (p<0/01).

This means that high Self-directedness and low harm avoidance improve the quality of life of serotonin reuptake inhibitors drug users.