Predictors of subjective well-being among older, community-dwelling persons with schizophrenia

This study tests a theoretical model of subjective well-being (SWB) for community-dwelling older persons with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 117 persons age 55 and over (mean age = 63 years) who developed schizophrenia before age 45. With the use of bivariate analyses and then logistic regression, five variables attained significance as predictors of SWB: male gender, absence of loneliness, older age, reliable social contacts, and fewer perceived life difficulties. Although a comparison with their age-peers in the general population indicated that the sample was worse on several objective indicators of well-being, for example, income, clinical depression, physical limitations, and social network size, none of these variables was predictive of SWB. Rather, the data largely supported the "judgment" theory of SWB, which proposes that SWB is based on beliefs about oneself and others.