A Comparison of Quality of Life in Patients with Alexithymic and Non-Alexithymic Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Report

Purpose: The impairment the quality of life in schizophrenia should be seen as a public health problem rather than a psychiatric approach. The aim of this study was to improve the life quality of the patients with schizophrenia in terms of providing a different approach in order to examine the alexithymia. Material and Methods: This study was conducted with patients who were treated a outpatients in Erenkoy Mental and Nervous Diseases Training and Research Hospital Psychotic Disorders and Schizophrenia Outpatient Clinic. The data collection form, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF-TR) and the 20- item Toronto Alexithymia Scale were administered to 152 patients with schizophrenia who accepted to participate in this study. Results: The life quality of the alexithymic patients with schizophrenia compared to non-alexithymic patients with schizophrenia, in all sub-scales were found to be statistically significantly lower. Conclusion: When the individuals with schizophrenia were divided into two groups as alexithymia or non-alexithymia, it was observed that the group with alexithymia was affected adversely in all areas of life quality. It was stated alexithymia caused an unexpected progress in schizophrenia. [Cukurova Med J 2015; 40(1.000): 107-112]