The relationship between depressive symptoms, general psychopathology, and well-being in patients with major depressive disorder.

Objective: In mental health care, treatment effects are commonly monitored by symptom severity measures. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between symptom severity and well-being in the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: Adult MDD outpatients (n = 77) were administered the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (QIDS-SR), the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45), and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) before treatment and 6 months later.

Results: Symptom severity correlated moderately with well-being at baseline and strongly at follow-up. Reliable change index scores showed improvement on the QIDS-SR, OQ-45, and MHC-SF in 65%, 59%, and 40%, respectively. A quarter of patients improved in symptom severity but not well-being (Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report [IDS-SR]: 25%; OQ-45: 24%).

Conclusion: Findings suggest that symptom severity and subjective well-being are related, but distinct concepts. Several reasons for the stronger improvements in symptoms than in well-being are discussed.