Perceived stress, quality of life, and coping skills among patients with schizophrenia in symptomatic remission

Sheikh Shoib,Soumitra Das,Anoop Krishna Gupta,Tamkeen Saleem,Sheikh Mohd Saleem

doi:10.1186/s43045-021-00153-1

Abstract

BackgroundSchizophrenia is one of the worst diseases with its ubiquitous challenges due to its unique psychopathology and life events. Patients with schizophrenia use various coping strategies to overcome distress. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between perceived stress, quality of life, and coping skills in patients with schizophrenia in remission. A total of 48 consecutive patients of schizophrenia, in remission, attending outpatient department of psychiatry at Academic hospital, South India, who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited for the present study. The participants were assessed on Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale, Ways of Coping Checklist – Revised and Perceived Stress Scale and WHO Quality of Life. Results were analyzed using appropriate statistical package software v 16.0.ResultHighest medial was found in self-controlling and positive reappraisal coping skills. Distancing is associated with high physical domain of quality of life whereas patients with good social support score more in social and physical domain of quality of life.ConclusionPatients with history of schizophrenia even though in remission dwell a stressful life. They often need different kind of social support or cognitive aids. In that view, studying their stress level, ability to cope with it, and quality of life will help us to manage them in better way.

Highlights

Schizophrenia is one of the worst diseases with its ubiquitous challenges due to its unique psychopathology and life events
The findings revealed that those who employed “active and growth-oriented coping” more frequently had fewer negative symptoms, a lower level of disability, and a higher quality of life [14]
Spearman correlation was computed to assess the relationship between perceived stress and domains of quality of life

Summary

Introduction

Schizophrenia is one of the worst diseases with its ubiquitous challenges due to its unique psychopathology and life events. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between perceived stress, quality of life, and coping skills in patients with schizophrenia in remission. Patients with schizophrenia have incapacitating symptoms, impaired social functioning, difficulties in daily life activities, a lack of motivation, deteriorated communication skills, and social cohesion, and available treatments often provide only limited benefits [2, 3]. These symptoms interfere with the patient’s educational, occupational, familial, and social functioning [4]. Some other research found the quality-of-life outcomes in schizophrenia patients in symptomatic remission to be debatable [9, 10].

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