engleski

AFFECT IMPAIRMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background/objective: Assessment of impact of schizophrenia on life of patients and efficacy of treatrnent is irnportant task and foundation of illness management. FIat affect is one of major component of schizophrenia. Treatment of severe mental disorders should arternpt to optimize Quality of Life (QOL) for the individual pati ent. Little is known about inf1uence of affect f1attening on QOL in patients suffering from schizophrenia. The purpose of the pilot study was to examine whether affect irnpairment interferes with QOL for patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The sample was comprised of 21 (12 male. 9 female)patients, diagnosed according to DSM-lY. Mean age was 29 years, range from 18 to 35 years. Mean age ofonset ofpsychosis was 21.2 years, range from 17 to 26 years. For all patients two previous episodes of illness were confirrned. Patients were in remission, on maintenance antipsychotic therapy. An independent c1inician made ratings with PANSS, CGI, and the affective flattening section of Scale for Assessment ofNegative Syrnptorns (SANS). The patients rated QOL 100-items questionnaire . Results: lnitial findings indicate that affect impairrnent in our sample correlates negatively with all domains of the QOL (Spearman 1'=0.47, P<O.OOI). lt was specifically high in the domains of social contact, psychological distress and coping. Conclusion: QOL is multidimensional concept that ought to be corresponding to c1inical situation and field-tested. impairment of affect could be responsible for false positive QOL ratings

Affect; schizophrenia; quality of life

Young Scientist Award, 11th Biennial Winter Workshop of Schizophrenia, Davos