Abstract
Background: Mental health disorders are medical conditions that influence individuals’ daily functioning, ability to maintain social relationships, and decrease their quality of life (QOL). Social support is meaningful because it is essential for mental health as well as enhancing psychiatric patients’ QOL. Aim: This study was to assess the relationship between social support and QOL among psychiatric patients. Subjects and Method: A descriptive correlational research design utilized for the current study. The study subjects were consisted a convenience sample of 115 patients from five psychiatric inpatient units and one outpatient clinic of Port-Said Mental Health Hospital. Three structured interview schedules were utilized to collect the necessarydata. Tool I: WHO Quality of Life Scale (Bref version), Tool II: The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, in addition to socio demographic and clinical data questionnaire. Results: The study revealed that, more than half of the psychiatric patients reported low QOL and two third of them reported low social support. In addition, there was statistically significant positive correlation between social support and QOL. It was observed that disease onset, onset of treatment, and previous hospitalization significantly affect the social support level. While, the age, income, employment status, diagnosis, and disease onset significantly affects the QOL. Conclusion and Recommendation: It can be concluded that, most of psychiatric patients have low social support and QOL. In addition, there is a relation between social support and QOL. Therefore, social support should be an essential part of psychiatric treatment because of its important role in enhancing patients’ QOL. The study recommended, increase the awareness of the mental health team about the importance of dealing holistically with psychiatric patients as considering his/her physical, psychological, social, and environmental aspects.
Highlights
Mental illness can have devastating effects on the individual and his family
There is a relation between social support and quality of life (QOL)
Social support should be an essential part of psychiatric treatment because of its important role in enhancing patients’ QOL
Summary
Mental illness can have devastating effects on the individual and his family. Mentally ill patients can experience loss of support from family, friends or partners, resulting in small or restricted social support resources predominately consist of family members or mental health professionals. Small social support networks have been associated with isolation and depression, it threaten psychological and emotional well-being, quality of life (QOL), and increased the likelihood of psychiatric re-hospitalization. Individuals living with mental illness experience functional impairments in daily living skills and social skills. These impairments can negatively affect social opportunities [1]. Human beings are social by nature and rely on each other for survival and for intimacy, support, knowledge, understanding and guidance. Mental health disorders are medical conditions that influence individuals’ daily functioning, ability to maintain social relationships, and decrease their quality of life (QOL). Social support is meaningful because it is essential for mental health as well as enhancing psychiatric patients’ QOL
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