Caregiver Expressed Emotion, Quality of Life and Medication Adherence among People Living with Schizophrenia in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: People Living with Schizophrenia (PLWS) are expected to live longer than before the advent of psychotropic drugs. Relationship of Caregiver Expressed Emotion and Medication Adherence to Quality of Life in African PLWS is not known. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the levels of caregiver expressed emotion, quality of life and medication adherence among people living with schizophrenia. Method: Data were collected on Socio-demographic and Schizophrenia Clinical Characteristic, Quality of Life, Caregiver Expressed Emotion (EE) and Medication adherence using Socio-demographic and Schizophrenia Clinical Characteristics questionnaire, World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL) - Brief, Caregiver Level of EE scale and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) respectively. Results: Caregiver EE was significantly associated with the physical and environmental domains of QoL (p = 0.011 and p = 0.001 respectively). Poor medication adherence correlated positively with the negative attitude and low tolerance sub-scales of the level of EE scale (p = 0.019 and p < 0.001). Medication adherence related significantly to the overall, health-related and physical domains of QoL (p < 0.001, p = 0.017 and p = 0.031). Medication adherence was also a positive predictor of overall QoL (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The High EE has been found to be closely related to the patients’ QoL. The role of medication adherence in promoting QoL among PLWS has been re-emphasized by the findings.