Research of the quality of life of schizophrenic patients in Belgrade

Abstract

First of all, it was pointed to the specificity of the quality of life of psychiatric patients, primarily to the fact that the very poor mental state significantly reduces the life satisfaction. Then, an overview of results of general research of quality of life among schizophrenic patients was presented, in relation to their conditions of treatment, cultural setting, influence of socio-demographic and other factors. The very research was conducted on the sample of 80 subjects treated under the diagnosis of schizophrenia at the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade - treated as out-patients in the day-hospital. The controls were 80 healthy subjects employed with a Health-care center in Belgrade. The statistical significance calculations of differences were related to replies to the instrument's questions - the instrument being a combination of Lancashire and Manchester Questionnaire. The questions referred to 15 features, classified according to five dimensions of quality of life (physical and medical; psychological and psychopathological; economic; relational and social; and axiological and transcendental dimension), and we arrived at the following: In terms of statistical significance, schizophrenic patients, in comparison to healthy controls confirmed taking medicaments significantly more often, that is, confirmed feeling as being chronic patients, suffering due to their bad disposition, fear and having hallucinations. The schizophrenic subjects, also confirmed something very interesting - that they were satisfied with their housing conditions and income. On the other hand, healthy controls, statistically speaking, replied significantly more often that they were satisfied with their sexual relations and relations with their friends, as well as that they were significantly more satisfied with their cultural and social activities. The results of our research were also commented on in relation to the social and other factors, and were compared to the results of similar researches.