Longitudinal Effects of Escitalopram on Quality of Life in Drug-Naive Generalized Anxiety Disorder Patients: A Six-Month Prospective Study

Abstract

Purpose: The objective was to enlist individuals new to treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and assess their self-reported quality of life with the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life brief version Questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF). The study also aimed to compare the quality of life (QoL) measures pre- and post-treatment.
Methods: A six-month interventional study monitored 60 participants who had never received treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria at a tertiary private hospital’s outpatient psychiatry department in Udaipur. Using the Hamilton anxiety rating scale, the severity of GAD was measured. Participants were included based on their existing prescription for escitalopram, administered as a 10 mg once-daily dose. Four weeks post-prescription, the WHOQoL-BREF questionnaire was employed to assess any shifts in quality of life.
Results: The study comprised 60 initial-treatment individuals with confirmed GAD diagnoses. The starting average WHOQoL-BREF score was 217.48. After four weeks of treatment with escitalopram, the average quality of life scores rose significantly to 276.48, indicating an average increase of 59 points and evidencing a marked improvement following treatment.
Conclusion: Escitalopram treatment was associated with significant QoL improvement in GAD patients. These outcomes underscore the necessity for effective treatment approaches for this disorder.