Quality of Life and Its Influencing Factors Among Schizophrenia Patients Living in Urban and Rural Areas

  Objective  To investigate the status quo of the quality of life of schizophrenia patients in a city in Sichuan Province and to explore, thereof, the urban-rural differences in the factors influencing their quality of life.

  Methods  A total of 824 schizophrenia patients were selected for the study through multistage stratified cluster random sampling method. All the subjects were selected from a pool of patients covered by the Sichuan Provincial Information System for the Comprehensive Management of Severe Mental Disorders. Questionnaire surveys were conducted with the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the general circumstance questionnaire, and the lifestyle questionnaire. In addition, univariate and multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the influencing factors of quality of life among schizophrenia patients living in urban areas and those in rural areas.

  Results  Rural patients had poorer quality of life than urban patients did in all measurement domains (P<0.05). Marital status, vocational skills, physical exercise, and social support were influencing factors of the quality of life among urban patients (P<0.05). Age, marital status, annual household income, vocational skills, participation in community rehabilitation activities, and the time required to walk to the nearest medical institution were influencing factors of the quality of life among rural patients (P<0.05).

  Conclusion  Targeted measures for the enhancement of the quality of life of schizophrenia patients should be formulated on the basis of urban and rural characteristics in terms of economic support, vocational skills training, input in mental health services, community rehabilitation services, and social support.