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. 2025 Jul 16.
doi: 10.1007/s11126-025-10189-9. Online ahead of print.

Quality of Life and Caregiver Burden in Adult ADHD, Major Depressive Disorder, and Personality Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mahsa Shahbazi  1 , Ronak Mihan  1 , Gita Sadighi  2 , Rosa Alikhani  1
Affiliations

Quality of Life and Caregiver Burden in Adult ADHD, Major Depressive Disorder, and Personality Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mahsa Shahbazi et al. Psychiatr Q. .

Abstract

Psychiatric disorders negatively affect patients' quality of life (QoL) and increase caregiver burden. To compare QoL among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (aADHD), and personality disorders (PD), and to assess caregiver burden in these groups. This cross-sectional study included 240 patients (80 per diagnostic group) and their caregivers. Diagnoses were based on DSM-5-TR criteria; aADHD was confirmed with the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale and DIVA 2.0. QoL was assessed with WHOQOL-BREF, and caregiver burden with the Zarit Burden Interview. Data were analyzed using SPSS v22. QoL was highest in aADHD (73.11 ± 7.50) and lowest in MDD (54.81 ± 13.60; p < 0.0001). Caregiver burden was highest among PD caregivers (59.53 ± 9.45) and lowest in aADHD caregivers (12.46 ± 6.18; p < 0.0001). Higher burden was linked to lower caregiver education (p = 0.037), unemployment (p = 0.022), and low income (p < 0.001). In MDD, caregiver burden was higher when patients had higher education (p = 0.045) or poor treatment adherence (p = 0.016). Male PD patients were associated with greater caregiver burden (p = 0.040). Frequent hospitalizations predicted lower QoL in MDD (p = 0.006). Patient QoL and caregiver burden were inversely correlated (r = -0.204, p = 0.001). QoL and caregiver burden differ by diagnosis. Socioeconomic factors strongly influence caregiver burden. Targeted, family-centered interventions are needed to improve outcomes.

Keywords: Adult ADHD; Caregiver burden; Major depressive disorder; Personality disorders; Quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (Code:IR.USWR.REC.1402.245). All participants provided written informed consent before participating in the study. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Clinical Trial Number: Not applicable. Consent for Publication: This study does not contain any individual person’s data in any form (including images or case details) that require consent for publication. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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