Adult quality of life and associated factors in adolescent onset schizophrenia and affective psychotic disorders.
BACKGROUND
Subjects in treatment for affective disorders are usually less satisfied with life compared to subjects with schizophrenia.


OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to compare subjective quality of life (QoL) at adult age of adolescent onset psychotic disorders and analyse associated factors.


METHODS
Fifty-three patients with adolescent onset psychotic disorders were followed up at age 25, diagnostically re-evaluated according to the DSM-IV and assessed with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale, the Strauss-Carpenter Scale and the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile.


RESULTS
Subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n = 27) experienced significantly lower overall QoL than subjects with psychotic mood disorders (n = 26). Overall QoL was strongly associated to depressed mood (R2 = 0.49) in the schizophrenia group and to degree of employment (R2 = 0.39) in the mood disordered group.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression is a major concern in the evaluation and treatment of patients with schizophrenia, while vocational support seems particularly important after an episode of psychotic mood disorder.
Jarbin
Håkan
H
Dept. of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, County Hospital, 30185 Halmstad, Sweden. hakan.jarbin@bup.lu.se
Hansson
Lars
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires