Quality of life in older adults with generalized anxiety disorder

Improving the quality of life is an important goal in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The current study described subjective quality of life, or life satisfaction, in a sample of older adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Patients with GAD were compared to other anxious and nonpsychiatric samples on measures of life satisfaction. Older adults with GAD reported lower quality of life than did nonpsychiatric samples; levels of life satisfaction were comparable between older adults with GAD and younger adults with social phobia. Predictors of quality of life for the GAD sample were examined. Severity of depression predicted decreased life satisfaction as measured by both the Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) and the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI-Z). Severity of anxiety predicted poorer quality of life as measured by the QOLI, and optimism predicted better life satisfaction as measured by the LSI-Z. The findings suggest that quality of life is diminished in older adults with GAD, and that additional factors also affect quality of life for these patients.