Quality of Life and GAF in Schizophrenia Correlation Between Quality of Life and Global Functioning in Schizophrenia

Recently, quality of life is a concern of health in psychiatry. Schizophrenia is a disorder that has the most regressive effects in societies' and patients' behavioural, occupational and psychiatric aspects. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life and global function of schizophrenia patients.

A hundred schizophrenia patients (with DSM-IV-TR) who had a history of at least 10 years from the beginning of the disorder were collected. Demographic characteristics, type of schizophrenia, living condition and the quality of life scale (QLS) including: interpersonal relationship, instrumental role, intra psychic foundations and common objects and activities, were gathered. Patients' general functions were evaluated with Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS statistical software using Fisher's exact test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Dunken and Pearson's correlation test.

In this study 67% of patients were male and 51% were female. They were comprised of residual (55%), paranoid (11%) and undifferentiated (33%) schizophrenia. They lived in institute (67%) and with their families (28%). There was a moderate correlation between QLS and GAF (p<0.01, r=0.2). A significant association was found between married and single patients in instrumental role (F: 2.97), P<0.05) but there was not a significant association in other domains. Correlation were found between undifferentiated and paranoid patients in interpersonal relationship (F: 2.97), P<0.05). However there weren't any correlation in intra psychic foundation and common objects and activities domains. Also there were significant associations in GAF (F: 3.98), P<0.05) between uneducated and educated participants. There was not an association between the Mean of five domains and genders.

Schizophrenia patients' quality of life is low which shows the value and reliability of Global Assessment Functioning that is usually used for every psychiatrics' patients for V axis clinical diagnosis and indicated the clinical value of this scale. For this reason rehabilitation, social skill training of patients and supportive therapy in family are important.