Quality of life in schizophrenic patients : the relationship with personal characteristics

Abstract EN

Objectives : The study aims to identify the quality of life level in schizophrenic patients and to find out the relationships between the quality of life and some of personal characteristics for those patients with schizophrenia.

Methodology : A descriptive correlation analytic design was used by using the assessment technique on sample of 100 schizophrenic outpatients, who were selected purposively (non-probability sample) during the period 10 / 3 / 2013- 1 / 12 / 2013.

The study was conducted on the schizophrenic patients in an out patient psychiatric clinics at Ibn-Rushd ; and Al-Rashad Psychiatric Teaching Hospital ; Baghdad Teaching Hospital, and Al-Kadhimya Teaching Hospital.

Self administrative questionnaire was used which includes of two parts: the first includes the covering letter and personal characteristics ; the second include the quality of life scale (World Health Organization QoL-BREF).

The validity of the instrument was determined by using of face validity through the panel of experts, and the reliability of the instrument was determined by internal consistency through the computation of Alpha Correlation Coefficient (Cronbach's Alpha).

The data were collected through the utilization of the self administrated questionnaire as a mean of data collection via structured interviewing.

Data analysis was employed by applying the Statistical Package for Social Science version 17.0 (SPSS).

Results : The results indicated that the majority of sample were single males aged from 30-44 years old who were unemployed graduated from institute or college education.

The higher percentage of them had 11 years and above duration of illness with 1-3 admission and complaining positive symptom.

The majority of schizophrenic patients have moderate quality of life level.

There is a significant positive relationship between quality of life and marital status and there is no relationship with other characteristics.

Recommendations : The study recommended of providing vocational and rehabilitative programs for the schizophrenic patients to improve their quality of life, and also the replication of the study with a large sample is important.