Quality of life and posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study assessing changes in SF-36 scores before and after treatment in a placebo-controlled trial of fluoxetine

Abstract

In this small pilot study, we evaluated quality of life for 16 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients by administering the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) at baseline and endpoint during a 12-week double-blind trial of fluoxetine and placebo. At baseline, our subjects reported greater impairment relative to subjects with major depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder on several SF-36 domains. Significant effects of fluoxetine relative to placebo were observed for vitality, social functioning, and mental health. Overall, PTSD was associated with greatly reduced quality of life, but considerable improvement was achieved through treatment.