Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between insight and quality of life (QOL) and the respective predictive factors in long-term hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia.
Methods: The present subjects were 47 Japanese patients with chronic schizophrenia who were hospitalized for >1 year (mean hospitalization period, 9.8 years). Assessments were made using the Scale of Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD) and the EuroQoL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) scale. Sociodemographic details and illness-related variables were also evaluated, including use of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.
Results: There was no association between SUMD and EQ-5D scores. Hallucinatory behavior was a predictor of good insight. Poor rapport was a predictor of bad insight. Poor attention was a predictor of bad QOL.
Conclusion: The relationship between insight and QOL and the respective predictive factors might be different between acute and chronic stages. Further studies are needed to investigate how these changes occur.