Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent, mainly in primary health care services, causing serious impairments in those subjects that are not treated. The objective of this study was to review the impact of the association between depressive disorder and quality of life. Our review included articles published between 1990 and 2007 and it was based on the following keywords: quality of life, depression, depressive symptoms, primary care services, well-being, happiness, and predictors of remission. The presence of depressive symptoms affects all dimensions of the quality of life, and depending on the severity of these symptoms, it might cause equivalent or more severe impairment than other chronic diseases. The findings suggest that the presence of depressive symptoms causes a serious impact on the quality of life of individuals. Such impact is not limited to the clinical characteristics of the disorder. However, there is still a lack of theoretical models and longitudinal studies demonstrating a more clear association between depression and quality of life. Most likely, through a better understanding of the subjective and objective measures of the recovery of individuals with depressive symptoms, it will be possible to find more efficient interventions that would help to improve the global functioning of this population. Therefore, the evaluation of the quality of life is a relevant outcome, since its multidimensionality is potentially capable of detecting the magnitude and scope of the impairment imposed by depression.
Quality of life; depression; primary care services; predictors of remission; well-being; happiness