Quality of life in healthy siblings of patients with first episode of psychotic illness and its predictors

Abstract

Families of patients with first episode of psychotic illness are exposed to numerous distress factors related to the care of their relative. It has been shown that these families experience higher levels of anxiety, depression, economic strain, and helplessness. According to the prior studies, long-term psychotic illness can also have negative impact on quality of life (QoL) in healthy siblings [1]. The aim of our study was to assess QoL in siblings of patients with first episode of psychosis and to examine effects of sibling-related and illness-related variables on QoL. Study sample consisted of first-episode psychosis patients (n = 20) and their healthy siblings (n = 20). All subjects were administered World Health Organisation Quality of Life Questionnaire Scale Brief (WHOQOL-Brief). Duration of untreated psychosis, medication adherence (Hayward scale) and severity of positive psychotic symptomatology (evaluated by Positive and Negative Symptom Scale) were used as illness-related variables, birth order served as a sibling–related variable. QoL has been accepted as a valuable outcome measure in many psychiatric conditions; thus, identification of contributing factors may help to improve overall outcome. Moreover, close monitoring of adverse effects of illness on QoL in healthy siblings may become a part of larger prevention strategies.Supported by the grant projects MH CR AZV 15-28998A, MEYS NPU4NUDZ: LO1611.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.