Ten-year quality of life outcomes among patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders: I. Predictive value of disorder-related factors

To provide data on long-term health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes among patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and schizoaffective
(SA) disorders and determine the predictive value of disorder-related factors.

A total of 108 patients with SZ/SA were assessed during stabilization phase and over 10 years with the Quality of Life Enjoyment
and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q), Clinical Global Impression Scale, Positive and Negative Syndromes Scale (PANSS),
Distress Scale for Adverse Symptoms (DSAS), Talbieh Brief Distress Inventory (TBDI), Brief Symptom Inventory-Somatization
Scale (BSI-S), and Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Variability and relationships between Q-LES-Q and disorder-related
dimensions over time were analyzed.

There were no differences in Q-LES-Q dimensions between patients with SZ and SA disorders. Poor outcomes were found among
76% of the patients with SZ/SA disorders who remained dissatisfied (64%) or worsened (12%) with their HRQL over time. However,
24% of patients reported improved quality of life (16%), or remained satisfied (8%). Changes in TBDI, DSAS, BSI-S, PANSS,
and GAF measures accounted for 20–50% of the total variance in satisfaction changes in Q-LES-Q domains across time.

Long-term quality of life outcomes are characterized by four different types that fit changes over time in emotional distress,
side effects, somatization, symptom dimensions, and general functioning scores. Revealed predictors are factors that can be
ameliorated and thereby enhance satisfaction with quality of life over time.