DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2026.10200 ISSN: 0924-9338

Preference-Based Quality of Life in Adolescents with Psychosis: Acceptability and Construct Validity of EQ-5D-3L and CHU-9D

T. L. Andersen, N. Larsen, C. F. Nielsen, M. S. Madsen, N. K. Andersen, L. H. Hastrup, A. K. Pagsberg

Introduction

There have only been few health economic evaluations worldwide in child and adolescent psychiatry, though they provide valuable information for optimizing services. With child and adolescent psychiatry growing as a field, there is likewise an increasing need to evaluate interventions using cost-utility analyses. For these analyses, we need appropriate preference-based quality-of-life instruments.

Objectives

We evaluate the acceptability and construct validity of EQ-5D-3L and CHU-9D when self-reported by adolescents with psychosis.

Methods

The sample is composed from baseline data in the OPUS YOUNG trial including 290 adolescents aged 12-17 years with first-onset psychosis. For this study, the 277 adolescents, who answered both EQ-5D-3L and CHU-9D, are included.

Danish adult tariffs are used to calculate EQ-5D-3L utility values, while Australian adolescent preference weights are used for CHU-9D. Additional measures are KIDSCREEN-10, Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), Clinical Global Impressions – Severity (CGI-S), and Full Scale IQ (FSIQ).

Acceptability is considered using descriptive statistics and distributions for domains and utility values. Construct validity is analyzed using Spearman correlations: Convergent validity is analyzed using KIDSCREEN-10; known-group validity is analyzed using PSP and CGI-S; and discriminant validity is analyzed using FSIQ.

Results

The adolescents rated themselves better in domains phrased like mobility and self-care than domains about activities. While they rated themselves worse on sadness/depression, worry/anxiety, and tiredness, they rarely expressed lots of pain and anger. Distributions for CHU-9D had greater spread and lower ceiling effects compared to EQ-5D-3L.

The EQ-5D-3L resulted in 72 distinct utility values from -0.399 to 1 with a mean of 0.611 (SD = 0.249), a median of 0.693, nine cases with a utility less than zero and 17 cases with a utility of 1. The CHU-9D resulted in 270 distinct utility values from -0.071 to 1 with a mean of 0.423 (SD = 0.212), a median of 0.399, one case with a utility value less than zero and one case with a utility of 1.

Moderate correlations were found between EQ-5D-3L, CHU-9D, and KIDSCREEN-10 (r = 0.62 – 0.69, p < .001). Only weak correlations were found with PSP (r = 0.25 – 0.30, p < .001) and CGI-S (r = 0.21 – 0.29, p < .001). There was no correlation between EQ-5D and FSIQ (r = -0.05, p = .44) but a weak correlation between CHU-9D and FSIQ (r = -0.18, p < .01).

Conclusions

EQ-5D-3L and CHU-9D can both be used for self-report by adolescents with psychosis. To optimize variance and minimize ceiling effects, levels and tariffs should be considered. Correlations show good convergent validity between health-related quality of life instruments. Though symptoms and functioning are expected to correlate with utility values, weak correlations suggests that utility should be measured separately.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

More from our Archive