DAILY LIVES OF PERSONS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY (LIFE SATISFACTION, MEDICATION COMPLIANCE).
Contributors: University of California, San Francisco.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 274
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.
Description: The purpose of this study is to describe the life course and the ordinary daily lives of persons with schizophrenia who are living successfully in the community. Data on daily living and life course were collected by semistructured interviews and clinical records review. In addition, two questionnaires were used: the Modified Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Life Skills Profile.

The sample consisted of 26 males and 16 females with a mean age of 37.1. The average community tenure since discharge from the last hospitalization was 3.9 years. The mean number of total hospitalizations was 7.0. A typical in this sample was never married, unemployed, on public assistance or entitlements, had no earned income, and lived under some kind of supervision.

Five different patterns of life course were identified. Factors related to community stabilization were medication compliance, cessation of street drug use, longer duration of contact with the mental health services, low-stress, supportive living environment including timely crisis intervention, stable living conditions. Also, subjects who were older and female had better stabilization in the community.

Ordinary daily lives were characterized by long periods of sleep and napping, short work time, extensive indoor activities, and long solitary activities: Although their lives appeared to be lone, non-productive, and passive, social interactions were key activities for the active parts of their lives. The daily activities seemed to be influenced by living arrangements.

All subjects mentioned some strategies to manage their symptoms in their daily lives. However, no symptom specific strategies emerged from this analysis. Medication was the most frequently mentioned strategy. Besides medication, strategies which were reported by subjects were "talking to someone," "sleep and rest," "keeping busy," "listening to music or watching TV," "a friendly atmosphere," and "exercise or walking.".

Subjects' most satisfied areas of daily livings were household work, relationship with friends, and services and the least satisfied areas were sexual life and financial condition.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-02, Section: B, page: 0740.

Thesis (D.N.S.)--UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, 1992.

School code: 0034.