Relationship between depressive symptoms and quality of life in Nigerian patients with schizophrenia

• Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Vol. 49; no. 8; pp. 1191 - 1198
• Main Authors: Akinsulore, Adesanmi, Aloba, Olutayo O., Mapayi, B. M., Oloniniyi, I. O., Fatoye, F. O., Makanjuola, R. O. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-08-2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Analysis; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Depression, Mental; Epidemiology; Female; Hospitals; Humans; Illnesses; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mood disorders; Multivariate Analysis; Nigeria - epidemiology; Original Paper; Outpatients - psychology; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Psychosis; Quality of Life; Regression Analysis; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenia - epidemiology; Schizophrenic Psychology; Self Report; Sociodemographics; Nigeria; Africa; Schizophrenia; Depression; Nigeria; Quality of life; Psychosis; Mood disorder; Social environment; Human; Symptomatology; Mental health; Public health
• ISSN: 0933-7954; 1433-9285
• DOI: 10.1007/s00127-014-0838-8

Purpose
Quality of life (QOL) in patients with schizophrenia is influenced by various factors such as depressive symptoms. This study assessed the relationship between depressive symptoms and QOL in outpatients with schizophrenia in Nigeria and evaluated the associated socio-demographic and clinical factors.
Methods
One hundred patients with 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases diagnosis of schizophrenia participated in this study. Socio-demographic and clinical factors such as depression were assessed with Zung Self-rating Depression Scale and symptoms of schizophrenia with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale of schizophrenia (PANSS). The level of functioning was assessed with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. QOL was assessed using the brief version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale.
Results
There were 27 (27.0 %) patients with depression. The depressed patients reported significant lower scores in all QOL domains when compared with the non-depressed group. All QOL domains were significantly negatively correlated with the total PANSS and all its subscales (except for psychological domain with total PANSS and social relationship and environmental domains with PANSS positive). Severity of depressive symptoms was significantly negatively correlated with all QOL domains. Functioning was significantly positively correlated with all QOL domains except in the environmental domain. Multiple regression analysis showed that depressive symptoms predicted all QOL domains except the social relationship domain while negative symptoms predicted social relationship and environmental domains.
Conclusion
Depression is a common occurrence during the course of schizophrenia. Depressive and negative symptoms have a significant impact on the QOL of patients with schizophrenia.