FEATURES OF SOCIAL DYSFUNCTION, ASSESSMENT OF LEVELS OF SOCIAL FRUSTRATION AND SATISFACTION WITH THE QUALITY OF MEDICAL CARE IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA ON THE BACKGROUND OF SOMATIC COMORBIDITY

Abstract

The aim: To study the features of social dysfunction, assess the levels of social frustration and satisfaction with the quality of medical care in patients with schizophrenia on the background of somatic comorbidity. Materials and methods: The study included 105 patients (55 women – 52.38% and 50 men – 47.61%) with a verified diagnosis of schizophrenia (F20.0-F20.3). The psychopathological condition of patients was assessed according to the “Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale” (PANSS). A special psychodiagnostic technique by L. I. Wasserman in the modification of V.V. Boiko was used to assess the level of social frustration. Peculiarities of social dysfunction were assessed based on the “Personal and Social Performance scale” (PSP). “The Health Resource Use Questionnaire” was used to obtain the information about the coverage of this patient with primary or specialized somatic care during the last three months. General and systematic examination of the patient was also performed, physical methods of diagnosis (palpation, percussion, auscultation) were applied, body mass index was calculated. Consultations of specialists, instrumental (ECG, ultrasound, Echo-CS, etc.) and laboratory diagnostic methods were prescribed depending on the detection or suspicion of concomitant somatic pathology. Results: The results showed significant social isolation of the respondents, their contacts were limited to communication with relatives and friends. This was confirmed by the data of social functioning on the PSP scale, according to which the most pronounced violations in the examined patients were found in the areas of “personal and social relationships”, “socially useful activities, including work and study”. It should be noted that the higher the rates of social dysfunction, the stronger the level of frustration (p<0.05). In particular, the low level of satisfaction with the field of medical services due to its inaccessibility, according to respondents, attracts attention. According to the relatives, the main reason for this restriction was the patients’ lack of awareness of their condition, neglect and indifference. Conclusions: Further attention is required to develop strategies to improve comorbid treatment in the patients with schizophrenia regardless of whether this situation is the result of negative attitude of health professionals towards patients with mental illness, or the result of the patients’ ignorance of their physical condition, or other factors.