Are the Patients with Schizophrenia Who Have Case Managers in Community Mental Health Centers Happier?

Abstract

When talking about recovery for schizophrenia patients, the absence of symptoms is satisfied and the concept of happiness is generally ignored. In our study, we aimed to compare the happiness levels of patients with schizophrenia who were followed up by the community mental health center (CMHC) and had case managers, and those with schizophrenia in remission who were followed only by the outpatient clinic and at the same time we compare the expression of emotion, which is thought to affect this happiness, the level of support perceived by the patient and the quality of life. Patients with schizophrenia who had regular CMHC follow-up for at least 1 year and had a case manager (CM) (n:100) and were in remission for at least 3 months (n:100) who were followed up in the outpatient clinic were included in the study. Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), Perceived Available Support Scale (PASS), Quality of Life Scale (QLS), Level of Expressed Emotion Scale (LEES) were applied to both groups. SHS, PASS, LEES, QLS scores were statistically significantly different in the group with CM. A negative correlation was found between the subscales showing the Level of Expression of Emotion and SHS scores. A positive correlation was found between QLS and PASS scores and SHS scores. In the case of VY, it was determined that PASS scores had a mediating effect on SHS scores, but QLS scores did not have a mediating effect. It was determined that the levels of intrusiveness, emotional response and tolerance/expectation, which are subscales of LEES, had a mediating effect on SHS scores, but the levels of attitude towards illness did not have a mediating effect. For people with schizophrenia, happiness is an often overlooked concept when talking about recovery. In our study, we evaluated the effect of case management within the scope of CMHC service and found that it had a positive effect on the happiness of patients with schizophrenia.