the quality of life in inpatients with chronic schizophrenia

Background. Whether in the prescription of appropriate types and doses of psychotropic medications or determining readiness for psychosocial treatment and rehabilitation, clinicians must be able to pinpoint, quantify, and monitor the severity of psychiatric symptoms. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and LiSkal (Linzer Skala zur Messung der Lebensqualität bei Menschen mit chronischen psychosozialen Problemen) were proved to be reliable assessment tools and were used to quantify phenomenological features of schizophrenia in this study.

Methods. 124 patients (76 male and 48 female) were interviewed in this study having the average age of 57. General information was taken from their case histories and symptoms were evaluated by means of the BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale). In addition, LISKAL scale was used to evaluate quality of life and independence of patients. Data was processed and frequencies of categories for attribute variables as well as the average (xav) and standard deviation (SD) for numerical variables were calculated. Finally, 95% confidence limit was calculated.

Results. Logistic regression model consisted of the following variables: living outside institutions in adulthood, working period, physical illness, motor slowing and bizzare delusions. The level of independence, measured with LiSkal scale, was 4 with both sexes. The evaluations of single sections in the questionnaire about the quality of life ranged between 3 and 4. The evaluation of independence correlated with the complex evaluation of the life quality.

Conclusions. Results showed that symptoms of illness (negatively) and general facts (positively) affected the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic schizophrenia.