title: Quality of life of schizophrenic patients living in the community: the relationships with personal characteristics, objective indicators and self-esteem.
abstract: The relationship of personal characteristics, objective indicators, and self-esteem to quality of life (QOL) was investigated cross-sectionally in 73 Japanese schizophrenic patients, and the question of how objective conditions affect subjective evaluation was evaluated. Depressive mood and uncooperativeness were negatively correlated with self-esteem, and self-esteem was positively correlated with QOL. Self-esteem was considered to directly affect QOL, and depressive mood and uncooperativeness to affect QOL via self-esteem. Findings suggest that, in order to improve the QOL of schizophrenia patients, interventions to help alleviate psychiatric symptoms (e.g. depressive mood, uncooperativeness) must be utilized. A change in Japanese society itself must occur so that the consequences of stigma may be reduced and patient coping skills improved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Okayama Prefectural University, 111 Kuboki, Soja-shi, Okayama 719-1197, Japan. kunikata@fhw.oka-pu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunikata
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mino
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires