Authors: Cherrie Galletly, Richard Clark, Sandy McFarlane, Darren Weber, SA
Year: 2000
Event: 2000 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Research, Evaluation, Quality Improvement, IMPROVING CARE, book of proceedings
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: The Australian survey of people living with psychotic illness (1997-1998) found that only a minority of these people had attained a level of functioning and well being commensurate with a good quality of life.
Quality of life can be measured using objective indices, such as employment, accommodation, and social contact, or subjective indices such as satisfaction and well being. A number of studies have reported that treatment with the atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine is associated with improvement in both objective and subjective measures of quality of life.
In this study, 19 people with schizophrenia were assessed on measures of symptom severity, cognitive function, and quality of life. They were then treated with clozapine for six months, and the assessment was repeated. Treatment with clozapine was found to be associated with a very significant improvement in quality of life.
This resource is only available for subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in. Otherwise, click here to purchase a subscription.