The Relationship between Insight and Quality of Life among Schizophrenic Patients

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is an overwhelming mental illness which characterized
by positive and negative symptoms. These symptoms may have a negative impact on a
person’s social, occupational or interpersonal functioning and his quality of life. Insight in
schizophrenia is a complex and controversial phenomenon. Deficit of insight in
schizophrenia has been conceptualized in a number of ways and has come to encompass
more general unawareness. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess the relationship < /div>
between insight and quality of life among schizophrenic patients. Research design: A
descriptive design was utilized. Setting: This study was conducted at out-patients clinics at
El Abassia psychiatric and mental health hospital. Subjects and Methods: A convenient
sample of 120 patients with schizophrenia. Tools of data collection: A socio-demographic
interviewing sheet, The New re-standardized Insight scale, and The Schizophrenia Quality of
Life Scale. Results of the study showed that, more than half of patient with schizophrenia
were female which lived in urban area and always they were worry about their future, feeling
lonely, feeling hopeless, taking things people say the wrong way, feeling down and
depressed, feeling very mixed up and unsure of person self, feeling go up and down, worry
about things and sometimes get upset thinking about the past .Conclusion: According to this
study, more than one third of the patients with schizophrenia understudy was insight less and
more than half of them had a poor quality of life. Also, there was a positive correlation
between level of insight and quality of life among patients with schizophrenia.
Recommendation: Implementing counseling intervention program for promoting quality of
life among patients with schizophrenia and Psycho-educational intervention program should
be designed to reduce the negative implications of schizophrenia and to improve insight
among patients with schizophrenia

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