title: Determinants of quality of life in people with severe mental illness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this article was to review some methodological issues in this field and give an overview of empirical research findings with a special focus on factors associated with or affecting subjective quality of life in people with a severe mental illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A selective review of relevant scientific literature on quality of life in severe mental illness was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjective quality of life in people with a severe mental illness is only to a lesser extent related to external life conditions. Major determinants are psychopathology, especially symptoms of depression and anxiety, and aspects of the social network. Personality related factors such as self-esteem are also influential. Comparative studies have further shown that patients in community care settings have a better subjective quality of life than patients in hospital settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efforts to improve subjective quality of life in people with severe mental illness should include a careful monitoring of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and pay particular attention to assessment of and interventions against unmet needs. Further, such interventions should stress a strengthening of the social support of the clients. It is also important to pay attention to mediators of changes in subjective quality of life such as self-esteem, mastery, autonomy, and self-efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Division of Nursing Lund University, Lund, Sweden. lars.hansson@omv.lu.se
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hansson
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D011599:Psychopathology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support