Insight and quality of life in long-term hospitalized Japanese patients with chronic schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between insight and quality of life (QOL) and the respective predictive factors in long-term hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia.


METHODS
The present subjects were 47 Japanese patients with chronic schizophrenia who were hospitalized for >1 year (mean hospitalization period, 9.8 years). Assessments were made using the Scale of Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD) and the EuroQoL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) scale. Sociodemographic details and illness-related variables were also evaluated, including use of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.


RESULTS
There was no association between SUMD and EQ-5D scores. Hallucinatory behavior was a predictor of good insight. Poor rapport was a predictor of bad insight. Poor attention was a predictor of bad QOL.


CONCLUSIONS
The relationship between insight and QOL and the respective predictive factors might be different between acute and chronic stages. Further studies are needed to investigate how these changes occur.
Nakamae
Takashi
T
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. nakamae@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Kitabayashi
Yurinosuke
Y
Okamura
Aiko
A
Shibata
Keisuke
K
Iwahashi
Sachiko
S
Naka
Fumiko
F
Morinobu
Midori
M
Watanabe
Mika
M
Narumoto
Jin
J
Kitabayashi
Masaki
M
Fukui
Kenji
K
D001364:Awareness; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology