Study on quality of life and its influencing factors in patients with serious mental illness in Nanjing City

Objective To investigate the major influencing factors of life quality of patients with serious mental illness and provide scientific evidences to improve their life quality. Methods A total of 679 patients with serious mental illness were included in this face-to-face survey with the MOS short form 36 health survey (SF-36) questionnaire. Results The mean physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) were (48.64±10.62) and (37.86±14.66) respectively. By the multivariable linear regression, the patients with younger age, higher educated level, no physical diseases, no adverse drug reactions and no social disability got higher PCS (all P<0.05), and the patients with no psychiatric symptoms, lower risk classification and no social disability got higher MCS (all P<0.05). Conclusions The severe mental illness not only damage mental health but also physical health. Psychiatric symptoms treatment, trouble-making risk control and social function improvement are of great importance to improve the mental health. Meanwhile we should focus on the physical health by relieving the patients' physical disease and adverse drug reactions.