Clinical and social needs of schizophrenic outpatients living in the community: the relationship between needs and subjective quality of life

Abstract

The results point to a need to further emphasise interventions towards the treatment of psychotic symptoms and psychological distress as well as to focus on interventions concerning the social relations and occupational situation of long-term mentally ill patients.

Subjective distress in a representative sample of outpatients with psychotic disorders

“…This proportion is smaller than the prevalence of over 50% found in other studies using the CAN with psychosis patients (Bengtsson-Tops and Hansson, 1999;Grover et al, 2015;McCrone et al, 2001). This might be explained by the higher chronicity in the sample (with a mean duration of psychosis of 18 years), which is recognised to be more distressing in the early stages, given the traumatic disruption caused in life (Birchwood, 2003;Tarrier et al, 2007).…”

“…The few studies assessing subjective distress identify it as one of the most prevalent needs, present in 50% or more of patients with psychotic disorders, and among the most common unmet needs (Bengtsson-Tops and Hansson, 1999;Grover et al, 2015;Landolt et al, 2012;Thornicroft et al, 2004). It is a predictor of worse quality of life (Ritsner et al, 2006;Ritsner et al, 2012), and has been associated with more severe psychopathology (Bradshaw and Brekke, 1999;Hartley et al, 2013) and increased insight (Cooke et al, 2007;Selten et al, 2000).…”

Components Associated with Adequacy of Help for Consumers with Severe Mental Disorders

“…The relationship between greater adequacy of help and the ratio of unmet needs echoes earlier studies focusing on associations between needs assessment and quality of life (Bengtsson-Topps and Hansson 1999;Hansson et al 2003;Slade et al 2004;Van Busschbach and Wiersma 2002;Wiersma and van Busschbach 2001) or satisfaction with mental health services. Slade et al (2005) found a causal relationship between these three dimensions.…”

Clinical and psychological correlates of two domains of hopelessness in schizophrenia

“…Yet multiple reports have documented that persons with schizophrenia commonly experience potent feelings of hopelessness [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. They may anticipate that their needs will not be met in the future and/or have come to believe that nothing is to be gained by continuing to pursue their goals [11][12].…”