LONG TERM OUTCOME OF SCHIZOPHRENIA – A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY -

Objective: To assess the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale pattern and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF scale scores of patients with schizophrenia after seven years of the initial diagnosis. Study Design: A cross sectional observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Psychiatry, Military Hospital Rawalpindi from Jan 2007 to Dec 2008. Material and Methods: Thirty patients who were invalided out of military service with the diagnosis of schizophrenia in 2000 and 2001 were subjected to psychometric evaluation seven years after the initial diagnosis in 2007 and 2008. They were assessed for their current symptoms and Quality of life using Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL-BREF) scale respectively. Both are established psychometric tools to assess the entire spectrum of schizophrenia and quality of life. Result: All patients were males. Forty three percent of the subjects had Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) score i.e. below cut off value of 65. Mean PANSS score of the group was 72. A score of more than 12 on World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQoL-BREF) scale indicating better quality of life was seen in 43 % of the patients. Factors linked with PANSS score > 65 and poor Quality of life (Qol score 4-12) were being single, unemployed, living in cities, using psychoactive substances and in initial years of military service. Conclusion: More than half of the patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia continue to show high Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) score and poor quality of life after seven years of initial diagnosis of schizophrenia.

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