One-fifth of all disability is caused by psychiatric morbidity, with depression and anxiety the most common conditions. Despite this, and the wide range of pharmaceutical treatments available, few quality-of-life studies have been conducted with depressed or anxious patients. Most studies focus on symptoms and adverse effects, rather than on the impact of these on the patient. Where health status is assessed, inappropriate generic measures have been used. Recently, a depression-specific measure of quality of life, the Quality of Life in Depression Scale, has been developed and is starting to be used in clinical trials. No equivalent measure for anxiety is available. Given the range and rapid increase in the number of treatments available for depression and anxiety, and issues of compliance and individual response to treatment, much more attention must be given to quality of life in these conditions.