Illness course and quality of life in Mexican patients with psychosis.
REVISTA DE PSIQUIATRIA Y SALUD MENTAL 2014;
8:218-23. [PMID:
24631456 DOI:
10.1016/j.rpsm.2013.12.001]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Revised: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the differences in the quality of life of patients with psychosis according to the course of the illness.
METHOD
Clinical records and SCID-I interviews were used to establish the course of the illness and to categorize it according to 3 criteria: a) relapses, b) residual symptoms, and c) clinical diagnosis. Subjective quality of life was assessed with the Seville Questionnaire.
RESULTS
Sixty one patients (56% women) participated, reporting a mostly adequate quality of life. An illness course characterized by the presence of residual symptoms, rather than by the occurrence of any relapse or the progression of a first-episode psychosis into schizophrenia, showed a negative effect on the perceived quality of life of patients.
CONCLUSIONS
The clinical services provided to patients with psychosis should focus not only on symptoms remission and relapse prevention, but also achieving a recovery with a satisfactory quality of life. Having identified residual symptoms as a crucial factor negatively affecting quality of life, clinicians must carefully assess them and treat them, in order to achieve the best possible recovery.
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