[Quality of life in relatives of mentally ill people]

The effects of mental illness on the quality of life of relatives were assessed with the SF-36 (Short Form-36 Health Survey).

304 relatives of 360 patients answered the SF-36 at hospital admission. The participant's data (age and gender) were randomizedly paired to data records of the German standard population.

Relatives of mentally ill people judged their quality of life, especially their emotional well-being, significantly worse than the standard population. Female relatives estimated themselves as more burdened than male.

By the means of SF-36 we could show that the quality of life in relatives of mentally ill people is clearly reduced especially in regard of social and psychical ranges.