Objective: To examine the impact of schizophrenia, its treatment and treatment-related adverse events related to antipsychotics, on quality of life from the perspective of schizophrenia patients and laypersons.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there were clear differences between patient and layperson responses to the utility questionnaire.
However, the preference ordering
of these health states was similar
, with stable schizophrenia having the lowest impact on quality of life
and relapse and EPS the greatest impact on quality of life, indicating as clear an understanding by patients of the health states and their impact on quality of life as by laypersons. In a disease such as schizophrenia, chronic side-effects of treatment such as weight gain and diabetes may have just as large an impact on QALYs as the acute symptoms of the condition itself.