Abstract.
Objectives:
The objectives of the study were to examine the perceptions of recently recovered psychiatric patients on their feeling of well-being, their satisfaction with domains of living experience, and the correlates of subjective quality of life (QOL).
Method:
Patients (n = 118, aged 18–60) with schizophrenia and major affective disorders were assessed with the 26- item WHOQOL instrument, 2 weeks after discharge. Satisfaction with the items was graded as follows: dissatisfaction (< 50% positive appreciation), bare satisfaction (50–65 %), moderate (66–74 %), and highest satisfaction (≥ 75 %). In the six domains of QOL, patients were categorized as high, average or poor, based on domain mean score plus/minus 1 SD.
Results:
Items of highest satisfaction included overall sense of well-being and satisfaction with self; satisfaction with personal relationships and ability to work were moderate; while there was dissatisfaction with adequacy of money to meet needs, dependence on treatment and sex life. At least two-thirds of the subjects were categorized as having average QOL in each of the six domains of living experience. There were no significant associations between psychiatric diagnosis, socio-demographic characteristics and QOL.
Conclusion:
Our data support the impression that effective medical treatment is the first step to ensure QOL. Subjective QOL ratings realistically reflect the strengths and weaknesses of socio-cultural circumstances and patients’ perceived personal qualities. High subjective sense of well-being should be a tool in public mental health education to dispel the gloom of psychiatric outcome and combat stigma.
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Olusina, A.K., Ohaeri, J.U. Subjective quality of life of recently discharged Nigerian psychiatric patients. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 38, 707–714 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-003-0691-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-003-0691-7