Quality of life among schizophrenic in- and out-patients

Abstract

Living with a long-lasting disorder such as schizophrenia in a hospital or in the community makes the quality of life of schizophrenic patients an important issue. This study evaluates the quality of life in a group of 28 inpatients and outpatients. The method is a slightly modified version of Skantze et al.'s Quality of Life Self-Report Scale (QLS-100) which indicates a patient's subjective experiences in several life domains. The patients were heterogeneous with regard to reported satisfaction and dissatisfaction, but many of them were dissatisfied with life domains such as “inner experiences”, economy, mental health, and social contacts. The differences between the in- and out-patients are discussed with regard to quality of life and interview data.