Quality of life in panic disorder: the influence of clinical features and personality traits

Objective To identify which clinical features and personality traits are associated with quality of life (QoL) in panic disorder (PD) patients. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with PD patients. The brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) were used to assess QoL and personality traits respectively. The strength of correlations was measured with Pearson’s, Spearman’s, and point-biserial correlation coefficients. We also performed multiple linear regressions, considering sociodemographic data and scores from clinical scales as independent variables and QoL scores as dependent variables. Results A total of 98 patients were evaluated. Depressive symptoms had a strong negative correlation with QoL and, to a lesser extent, panic and anxiety symptoms were also negatively correlated with QoL. While consciousness, extraversion, and agreeableness had mild positive correlations with QoL, neuroticism had a strong negative correlation. Conclusion Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and panic seem to have a negative impact on the QoL of PD patients. Personality traits, especially neuroticism, may also influence QoL in these patients.