The Relation between Insight and Quality Of Life among Schizophrenic Patients.

Abstract

There has been considerable growth in literature on insight in schizophrenia and its impact on adherence, symptoms and functioning. Between 50%- 80% of patients with schizophrenia are partially or totally lacking insight into the presence of their mental illness. Lack of insight is the most prevalent symptom in schizophrenic disorders, it also occurs more frequently in schizophrenia than in other psychotic disorders. The study of quality of life (QOL) and the focus on patients' subjective sense of well-being is a fairly new phenomenon that has attracted professional attention only within the past two decades. So, issues of life quality became a key when cure is impossible. The present study determines the relation between insight and quality of life among schizophrenic patients. This study followed the descriptive design. It was conducted at the Psychiatric Department of Tanta University Hospital and Tanta Mental Hospital. The subjects of the study consisted of sixty schizophrenic patients. Three tools were used: 1- A structured interview questionnaire was applied for collection of data related to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the study subjects, 2- A Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD ) and 3- Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale ( SOLS ).The main results revealed that general insight into mental disorder was negatively related to quality of life as a whole. Insight into mental disorder was negatively related to quality of life in the domains of psycho-social functioning and emotional well-being. But, no relation was found between insight into mental illness and quality of life in the domains of motivation and energy and the domain of medication and side effects. This study recommended that the future interventions and research could be directed to help persons with schizophrenia overcome their negative beliefs and find newer and more adaptive ways to think of themselves and their futures, thus allowing for the acceptance of mental illness to have fewer devastating effects.