Relationship between quality of life and social integration among patients with schizophrenia attending a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Background Despite decades of de-institutionalization and the best efforts of community mental health services, individuals with schizophrenia living outside the hospital may be described as in the community but not of the community, and remain in a very real sense socially excluded. Aim and objectives To determine the relationship between social integration and quality of life among patients with schizophrenia attending the outpatient clinic of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Abeokuta in Nigeria. Methods One hundred and fifty-one patients were recruited. Sociodemographic questionnaire, MINI-PLUS, WHOQOL-BREF, Social Integration Scale and PANSS were administered. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify the determinants of quality of life and the relationship with social integration. Results The mean (± SD) age of the respondents was 40.00 (± 10.23), 56.3% were males, 37.1% were single. Independent predictors of lower quality of life were: (1) more severe psychopathology for the domains of general health (p = 0.003), social relationship (p = 0.019) and environment (p = 0.008); (2) longer duration of illness for the social relationship (p = 0.028) and environment (p = 0.015) domains; and (3) negative symptoms (p = 0.034) for the physical domain. Conclusion There is a need to pay closer attention to social outcome measures such as quality of life and level of social integration among patients with schizophrenia who come in contact with psychiatry services, and not just on symptom remission only.