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Introduction . In recent decades prognoses for stroke survivors regarding the risk of death or serious disability have improved, primarily due to stroke units, thrombolytic therapy and mechanical thrombectomy. Long-term research concerning the course of recovery and the consequences of strokes, which apart from clinical and functional indices would also include the quality of life, is relatively scarce. For this reason it is necessary to constantly update our knowledge of various aspects of the long-term process of recovery of stroke survivors. Aim . The aim of the present study was to assess health-related quality of life in a prospective manner over a period of up to five years following a stroke. Material and Methods . The study sample consisted of 27 patients (18 men and 9 women) aged between 53 and 82, mean age of 68.77 years (SD 8.16), 3 months, 12 months and 5 years after suffering from an ischaemic stroke. Quality of life was assessed using the Euro-Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L), which covers five quality of life dimensions, the summary quality of life index (EQ — index), and self-assessment of health using the VAS scale (EQ VAS). Results . Quality of life impairment in various dimensions and at various time points of the study concerned from 8% to 60% of patients. Problems occurred mainly in the “pain/discomfort” dimension, and applied to more than 40% of patients during the observation period. The lowest intensity of problems was found in the “self-care” dimension, these referred to from 7% to 14.8% of patients. Mean levels of the EQ index were rather high in all assessments (> 0.80), while those of EQ VAS were moderate (between 60 and 70 points). They did not changed significantly over the period of observation. Conclusions . The quality of life of the majority of stroke patients is relatively good, although it differs for various dimensions. The quality of life in the “non-physical” dimensions is lower than in the physical dimensions. Also the quality of life of patients 3 months after a stroke does not change significantly over the next few years. (JNNN 2019;8(2):62–68)

ObjectivesYoga is an ancient form of physical activity (PA) that encompasses meditation, stretching and breathing techniques. Although the benefits of PA and associated lifestyle interventions are clear, we here addressed the paucity of evidence regarding the specific relationship between yoga and quality of life (QOL) in adults in Poland. We hypothesised that participation in PA and yoga could result in a positive impact on QOL.DesignCross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire-based survey. Both the quantitative and qualitative variables were statistically compared. Multivariate analyses were performed using linear regression. Results were determined based on age, sex and education level; a pSettingQuestionnaires were delivered to participants online, at high schools and universities, and in elderly communities in Poland.Participants714 polish citizens aged over 18 participated in the study; there are no specific entry and exclusion criteria besides age.ResultsStatistically significant differences (pConclusionsThe study shows that both regular PA and yoga practices could improve QOL; however, PAG-Y produced higher QOL scores than PA of other types. This outcome may be explained by the impact of physiological and psychological aspects within yoga practice. These results suggest that this unique combination impacts health more positively than other kinds of PA alone.

The aims of this study were to examine prospectively the course of neurological and functional recovery and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in ischaemic stroke patients after intravenous thrombolysis, to assess the 1-year outcome and to determine the early predictors. A group of 53 consecutive patients were assessed at admission to the acute stroke unit (T0), before their discharge (T1), and at 3 (T2) and 12 (T3) months after hospital discharge. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Barthel Index (BI) and the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale (SSQoL) were used to evaluate stroke severity, functional disability and health related quality of life (HRQoL). A good outcome was defined as simultaneous improvement in all three scales. At T0, 83 % of the patients had severe or moderate neurological impairment. Additionally, 77 % demonstrated very severe or severe disability when assessed by the BI. 74 and 79 % of the patients reported an acceptable HRQoL at 3 and 12 months following discharge, respectively. Neurological and functional status improved significantly over time with most changes occurring during hospitalization and the subsequent 3 months. At T3, 75.5 % of the patients had the good outcome which had been independently predicted by the level of stroke related disability at T0. A majority of the stroke survivors treated with thrombolysis achieved a good outcome. The measurement of stroke specific HRQoL, as a tool for gathering information from the patient, should be incorporated in the assessment of post-stroke recovery and outcome.

Introduction Most studies concerned with the quality of life (QoL) of women with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) focus on patients with vertebral and non-vertebral fractures. Our objective was to evaluate QoL among patients with reduced BMD regardless of their fracture history compared to women with normal BMD. Material and methods Eighty-five patients in the study group were classified as osteoporotic, with BMD results measured by densitometry and expressed by T-score ≤ –2.5 SD, 122 women were osteopenic, with –2.5 < T-score ≤ –1.0 SD, and 97 subjects were assessed as normal, with T-score > –1.0 SD. Mean ages of women according to groups were 59.90, 57.67 and 55.68, respectively. Assessment of life quality was conducted using the Polish version of the QUALEFFO-41 scale. Results The ratings in the assessment (QUALEFFO-41) of QoL were lower for osteoporotic and osteopenic women than for the normal BMD group with regard to pain (p = 0.006), social function (p = 0.001), health perception (p = 0.001), and mental function (p = 0.001). For total QUALEFFO-41 the associated factors were: secondary and higher education (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.29–0.82), self-perceived deformity of the back (OR = 4.09; 95% CI: 1.88–8.93), previous fractures (OR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.09–5.82), reduced height (OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.13–5.39) and anxiety (OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.21–1.66). Conclusions It seems necessary to evaluate QoL of women with reduced BMD before fractures occur, to aid development of health education aiming to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis and prevent fractures.

ObjectivesThe aims of the study were: (1) to evaluate longitudinally symptomatic remission in first-episode (FE) schizophrenia, (2) to describe symptoms, social functioning and quality of life (Qol) in relation to remission status, and (3) to determine the long-term outcome of schizophrenia and its early predictors.MethodsSixty-four patients were assessed 1 month after a first hospitalization (T1), 12 months (T2), 4–6 years (T3), and 7–11 years (T4) after T1. The patients were allocated to three remission groups according to their remission status over the whole observation period, e.g. stable remission (SR), unstable remission (UR) and non-remission (NR). The PANSS, Social Functioning Scale and WHOQoL were used to evaluate the patients’ psychosocial functioning levels, symptomatic and functional remissions and satisfying QoL. A good outcome was defined as meeting, simultaneously, the criteria of symptomatic and functional remissions and satisfying QoL at T4, while failure to meet all of these criteria was defined as a poor outcome.ResultsAmong them, 17.2% patients were in stable remission, 57.8% in unstable remission and 25.0% were unremitted at all time points. The SR group had lower levels of psychopathological symptoms and reported better social functioning and QoL than the NR group. During the follow-up, the symptoms increased, social functioning slightly improved and QoL did not change. At T4, 53% of the sample had a poor outcome, which was independently predicted by the longer duration of untreated psychosis and a lack of satisfying QoL at T1.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that: (1) the long-term course in schizophrenia is heterogeneous and that three illness trajectories exist, (2) social functioning and QoL are only partially connected with symptomatic remission (3), the risk of a poor outcome may potentially be reduced by appropriate interventions at an early stage of the illness.

Objectives To assess the prevalence of considerable burden among caregivers of stroke survivors at 6 months (Time 1) and 5 years after stroke (Time 2), to analyse changes in burden severity over time and to identify factors associated with the burden. Methods Eighty eight patient/caregiver pairs were assessed. Caregiver burden was measured with the Caregiver Burden Scale. Socio-demographic, stroke-related and psychological characteristics were analysed as potential determinants of the burden. Exact multiple logistic regression was used to identify the predictive factors. Results Considerable burden was reported by 44% of the caregivers at Time 1 and 30% at Time 2. The burden was independently associated with caregivers’ sense of coherence and amount of time spent caregiving at Time 1, and with caregivers’ anxiety at Time 2. Conclusions A significant proportion of the caregivers experienced considerable burden in the post-acute and chronic phases of stroke, although this proportion declined over time. Several characteristics were associated with the increased burden at different time points. All the independent predictors related to aspects of the carers. Practice implications Programmes including education about coping strategies and time management, as well as respite care provision, could be beneficial and might help to reduce the burden of caregiving.

[b]Objective[/b]. To measure the intensity of depressive symptoms in the populations residing in rural areas of western Poland, and to delineate the putative association between the intensity of depression and selected socio-demographic and clinical factors. [b]Materials and method.[/b] The study covered 445 adults recruited from one family physician practice in the rural area of Wielkopolska region. The following tools were applied: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the WHO WHOQoL-Bref quality of life assessment scale, and a socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire elaborated by the authors. [b]Results.[/b] Depressive symptoms were observed in approx. 30% of the patients. The intensity of symptoms correlated with age, female gender, and inversely correlated with the quality of life. There was no association between depressive symptoms and level of education (counted as years of education), number of somatic illnesses, and family burden of psychiatric disorders. [b]Conclusion[/b]. Symptoms of depression were noted in approx. 30% of patients who consulted their family physician. The Beck questionnaire is a simple tool whose application could decidedly improve the recognition of depression. It is worth taking note of factors that may be connected with the intensity of depressive symptoms – gender, the number of diagnosed somatic illnesses, and the quantity of drugs administered.

Background:Studies on the determinants of the quality of life (QOL) after stroke bring differing results depending on the applied concept of QOL. This may lead to confusion about the contribution of various factors to the post-stroke QOL.Objective:The aim of the study was: (i) to investigate functional and psychological QOL in the individuals after the first ischemic stroke; (ii) to identify the most important correlates of QOL; and (iii) to examine the significance of depression among the other possible predictors of QOL.Methods:A hospital-based sample of 72 stroke patients was followed up to 6 months after stroke onset. QOL was assessed using the Polish version of the Quality of Life Index and the Sickness Impact Profile. A multiple regression procedure was performed to examine relationships between QOL and the study variables.Results:In spite of good recovery, the psychological and functional QOL of the examined patients was impaired, although the negative impact of stroke was greater on the objective QOL than on the subjective QOL. Stroke-related impairment, depression, functional disability and marital status predicted 80% of the variance in the functional QOL. Emotional support, depression and functional disability explained 38% of the variance in psychological well-being.Conclusions:Depression and physical disability were the most important predictors of QOL after stroke since their impact on QOL was more robust in comparison to the remaining variables. For improving QOL, a comprehensive care for patients aimed at reducing physical dependence and ameliorating depressive symptoms could be recommended.

The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Polish WHOQOL - Bref in a sample of 908 respondents. The Bref is a generic quality of life (QoL) instrument designed for cross - cultural use. Correlational and multivariate analyses confirmed the relevancy of individual items and domains supporting the construct validity of the scale. Multiple regression analyses of the domain scores with two overall questions (dependent variable) showed that all four domains made a significant contribution in explaining the variance in overall QoL. The psychological domain made the strongest contribution (unstandardized B coefficient = 0.10, r2 = 0.41), followed by the social, environmental and physical domains. When overall health satisfaction was considered as the dependent variable, the physical domain contributed most strongly (unstandardized B coefficient = 0.21, r2= 0.43) followed by the psychological and environmental domains. Exploratory factor analyses resulted in a four factors solution with 24 items explaining 49.6% of the cumulative variance. Confirmatory factor analyses lended marginal support for the goodness of fit of the four-domain model. The physical domain was found to be strongest in differentiating between unhealthy and healthy subjects, followed by psychological and social domains. Acceptable internal consistency was shown with Cronbach's alpha coefficients being greater than 0.70 for all domains with the exception of the social domain. Further exploration of the scales validity and conceptual clarity need further testing in Polish and international samples.

Objectives – To describe global and domain-specific quality of life (QOL) after stroke and to identify the factors that are important for post-stroke QOL. Material and methods – A hospital-based sample of 72 stroke patients was followed up for 6 months after stroke onset. QOL was assessed using the Polish version of the Quality of Life Index. Regression analysis was performed to identify the variables that best predicted QOL. Results – The overall QOL of stroke patients was relatively good, although worse than that of subjects in a comparison group. The highest QOL was found in the ‘Family’ domain, and the lowest in the ‘Health and functioning’ domain. Emotional support, depression and functional disability were three separate variables explaining 38% of the variance in QOL. Conclusions – Strengthening of family support, treatment of depression and reduction of physical dependence may be the decisive factors in improving post-stroke QOL.

The assessment of social functioning and subjective quality of life in relation to symptomatic remission in schizophrenia patients after a first psychiatric hospitalization, as well as the analysis of connection between intensity of psychopathological symptoms and the level of functioning and quality of life, taking into account the status of remission and duration of illness.Sixty-four patients were assessed, at 13 months (1st examination) and at mean 8 years (2nd examination) after the first hospitalization, and compared with two control groups of healthy persons. The following scales were used: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Social Functioning Scale (SFS), WHO Quality of Life (WHOQoL--Bref) scale and Global Assessment Scale (GAS).At first examination, the score of SFS domains was not significantly different between patients in remission and without remission while the score of most domains of WHOQoL was significantly higher in patients with remission. At second examination, the scores of both SFS and WHOQoL were significantly higher in patients with remission and did not differ significantly from healthy persons. In both examinations, significant correlations between PANSS and SFS and WHOQoL scores were found, especially in patients without remission.At mean 8 years after first psychiatric hospitalization, 2/3 of the patients with schizophrenia did not get a symptomatic remission and had worse social functioning and quality of life compared to patients with remission and to healthy controls. Psychopathological symptoms correlated significantly with social functioning and quality of life, especially among patients without remission.

Despite a significant progress in prevention, treatment and management in the past decades, stroke remains the most common disabling chronic condition in adult population. It may be a source of serious temporary or permanent consequences. These consequences should be recognised and measured for defining and implementation of remedial interventions and for optimum utilisation of health care resources. The aim of this work was to present sequels of stroke, taking into account objective and subjective indices, as documented in the recent literature of the subject. Selected data on mortality and survival following stroke were presented, the up-to-date literature was reviewed and register-based prospective studies were presented on quality of life (QoL) in post-stroke patients. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were summed up, related to efficacy of interventions aimed at improving QoL of the patients. Moreover, the studies were reviewed on burden and QoL experienced by caregivers of post-stroke patients and results were summed up of RCT synthesis aimed at reducing the burden and at improving QoL in the caregivers. The analysed studies indicated that stroke exerts a long-term, negative effect on patients' QoL, promoting a decrease in this measure and burdening a significant proportion of the family caregivers. The applied till now different interventions and programmes targeted at the patients and at their carers analysed in RCTs showed no or modest effects on improving of QoL or reducing the caregiver's burden.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the second most common cause of disability among nervous system diseases. This disease causes reduced quality of life of patients and those caring for them. Quality of life (QoL) measures consist of at least three broad domains: physical, mental and social. In the field of medicine, researchers have often used the concept of health-related quality of life, which specifically focuses on the impact of an illness and/or treatment on patients’ perception of their status of health and on subjective well-being or satisfaction with life. Subjective factors of QoL in MS patients include perception of symptoms, level of fitness, self-image, satisfaction with family life, work, the economic situation, interaction with other people, social support and life in general. Objective factors include the clinical picture of disease, social status, social and living conditions and the number and intensity of social contacts. While many generic and specific questionnaires have been developed to assess QoL in patients with MS, including general fatigue, there is a lack of specific questionnaires assessing QoL of caregivers. In this paper, a review of selected studies on QoL and caregiver burden in MS and a summary of the most popular questionnaires measuring burden and QoL are presented. Special attention is paid to the first questionnaire specific for QoL of carers of persons with MS, CAREQOL-MS by Benito-Leon et al.

To estimate the proportion of locomotor disabilities in two elderly populations in Sweden and Poland, respectively. To estimate the perceived quality of life (QoL) in the disabled groups in samples from each country using a model developed by Carol Estwing Ferrans.The study comprised three parts: an epidemiological screening test for identification of individuals with a locomotor disability, an analysis of background data of importance and home visits with evaluations of quality of life and functional capacity. Home visits were made using the Quality of Life Index, (QLI) of Ferrans and Powers and a functional scale, the Standardized Practical Equipment (SPE). Data were collected for the period 1991-1996.In the population part of the study, with 1,380 respondents (78%) comprising elderly Swedish persons, 288 reported a locomotor disability. This can be compared with 425 among 1,045 respondents (52%) in a Polish elderly group. The tests at the home visits (Sweden, n = 89; Poland, n = 84) showed that both men and women in the Swedish group reported significantly higher scores for the total QLI (max. 30.00) with men reporting 26.68 points compared to 19.73 and women reporting 21.39 points compared to 19.40 and for three of the four subscales. Also, the Polish group scored lower for balance and mobility (SPE).The study provides an important view of the life situation measured with the QLI tool and the SPE for elderly persons with locomotor disorders in Sweden and Poland during the mid-1990s. The results are congruent with epidemiological reports on the poor health situation in Poland, particularly during that time. A new investigation among the elderly with locomotor disorders in the two countries today might provide different results.

An overall aim of treatment in multiple sclerosis is to lower the negative impact of the disease on functioning and quality of life of patients. Therefore, a measurement of functioning and quality of life should be included in the evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment. In this paper the most commonly used quality of life questionnaires, either generic and specific, were presented. Information about clinical and functional status is useful in the interpretation of the quality of life assessment results. Because of that, instruments for the assessment of depression, cognitive functions, functional ability and fatigue in multiple sclerosis were also described.

The majority of concepts of quality of life (QoL) include both objective and subjective dimensions. The objective aspect of QoL after traumatic brain injury (TBI) concentrates on patients' functioning in physical, psychological, social and cognitive domains. The subjective component refers to life satisfaction and individual evaluation of life as a whole or in the domains. The aim of this paper was to review research on QoL in TBI patients taking into account this bidimensional framework. The studies reviewed show that TBI has a significant, long-term impact on all QoL domains. Subjects with TBI score significantly lower than non-injured controls or normative groups. Traumatic brain injury has a more profound effect on the psychosocial domains than on the physical domain, which means that the impact of TBI is cumulative. Further research should focus on prognostic factors of QoL and on the role of rehabilitation in prevention of deterioration in QoL of patients and their caregivers.

To evaluate prospectively the course of schizophrenia in men and women after a first psychiatric hospitalization in terms of socio-vocational situation, social functioning and psychopathological status.A study sample consisted of 74 patients (46 males, 28 females), examined 1 month (T. 1), 13 months (T. 2) after a discharge, and 4-6 years after T. 1 (T.3). The research instruments were: a questionnaire for socio-demographic data and information about the illness course, Social Functioning Scale (SFS) and PANSS.During the follow-up period, the socio-vocational situation and psychopathological status has worsened. The percentage of patients unemployed or not studying increased by 26%, whilst those receiving a disability pension by 50%. Despite of the pharmacological treatment, symptoms severity increased, particularly in the group of negative symptoms and general psychopathology (p0.01). Social functioning showed a significant trend to improve but only in some domains. Between T. 1 and the last follow-up, there was an increase in total SFS and in 3 out of the 7 domains. This improvement was particularly noticeable in the group of female patients hospitalized before the age of 20 years (p0.05). Female patients, regardless of age of their first hospitalization, scored higher in the Independence performance domain.(1) The early course of schizophrenia appears to be heterogeneous. This was reflected by the deterioration of socio-vocational situation and psychopathological status, and by a variability of the changes in social functioning. (2) This heterogeneity and non-parallel changes should be taken into account when planning and evaluating therapeutic interventions. (3) The early course of schizophrenia seems to be more beneficial for female patients.

This study involved a naturalistic, prospective project assessing objective and subjective dimensions of quality of life (QoL) and the range of its putative determinants in first-episode schizophrenia. Seventy-four patients, mean age 24.7 years, participated in the study. The patients were assessed 1 month following the first hospitalisation (Time 1), 12 months later (Time 2), and 4–6 years after Time 1 (Time 3). The Social Functioning Scale and World Health Organisation Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) were applied to evaluate objective and subjective QoL, respectively. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was used to examine psychopathological status, and the Global Assessment Scale was applied to evaluate social adjustment prior to hospitalisation. The objective and subjective QoL was relatively low at Time 1. Over time, the objective QoL improved in three domains, decreased in one domain, and remained stable in three domains. The subjective QoL did not change. The most important predictors of both dimensions of QoL were psychopathology and duration of untreated psychosis. Because psychopathology seems to have the greatest impact on the QoL, there is a need to develop community psychosocial treatment to reduce these symptoms and to support patients in the early phase of the disease.

Although poststroke fatigue concerns almost 60% of patients, still little is known about its pathogenesis and contributing factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the severity of fatigue in terms of its impact on physical, psychological and social functioning as well as to determine the relation between fatigue and clinical, demographic and psychological factors.Patients (n = 50) with acute first-ever stroke admitted to the neurological department were interviewed at 3 months after discharge. Poststroke fatigue was assessed using the Polish version of the Fatigue Impact Scale. Neurological status was examined with the Scandinavian Stroke Scale, functional status with the Barthel Index, and emotional status with the Beck Depression Inventory. Styles of coping with stress were identified using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations. Sex, age, type of stroke and lesion location were documented as well.Ninety percent of patients demonstrated high level of fatigue in physical functioning, 16% in the psychological domain, and 18% in the social domain. In the univariate analyses, impact of fatigue on patients functioning significantly correlated with age, lower mood, neurological and functional status, as well as with styles of coping. Emotion-oriented coping was associated with lower level of fatigue, whereas the reverse was found regarding task-oriented coping. In the multivariate analyses the emotion-oriented style of coping was the most important correlate of fatigue.The causes of poststroke fatigue appear to be multifactorial. Psychological factors, especially coping strategies, might be an important area for future interventions.

An overall aim of treatment in multiple sclerosis is to minimize the negative impact of the disease on functioning and quality of life of patients. Therefore, a measurement of functioning and quality of life should be included in the evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment. In this paper, the most commonly used quality of life questionnaires, either generic or specific, are presented. The information about clinical and functional status are useful in the interpretation of the quality of life assessment results. Therefore, the instruments for the assessment of depression, cognitive functions, functional ability and fatigue in multiple sclerosis are also described.

Surviving of a stroke may be considered as a major stressful life event. Neurological and functional deficits often lead to a loss of independence, social alienation, depression and deterioration of the quality of life. Earlier correlational studies have shown that social support may mediate responses to stroke and improve patients' quality of life. The aim of this article was to review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning the role of professional social support in the quality of life after stroke. The vast majority of the RCTs published in the last decade did not show any positive impact of support on the psychosocial consequences of a stroke. It does not mean, however, that professional support is necessarily ineffective. The reviewed RCTs may fail to detect benefits because of some methodological and theoretical limitations. There is a need of further research but more attention should be given to a power analysis, selection of an appropriate outcome measure and standardisation of a study procedure. It is also important to found research deliberately on existing social support theories.

The importance of social support for mentally ill people has been increasingly emphasized in recent years. This has resulted from studies showing that family and professional support plays an important role in preventing rehospitalizations and in improving quality of life of patients with schizophrenia. This article presents and analyses the findings of current research concerning the effectiveness of social support in rehabilitation programmes as well as highlights the problem of matching the type and quantity of social support provided to the patients' needs and to the phase of the disease.

A quadripartite concept, the Good Life for older people, was developed by the American psychologist M. P. Lawton and forms the theoretical framework of this study. Ninety Swedish and 93 Polish subjects, aged > or = 60 years who had reported locomotor disturbances in selected samples from the two countries, took part in the study. Interviews were performed using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Multilevel Assessment Instrument (PGCMAI) and functional testing was done using the Standardized Practical Equipment (SPE). The Polish elderly scored lower in most domains of the PGCMAI, which meant a worse life situation according to the Good Life model. On the SPE, scoring was lower in the Polish group, mainly on items related to balance and mobility. There was a logic convergent validity between the PGCMAI and the SPE in the whole group. The somewhat more complicated life situation for the Polish elderly has to be further analysed.

Stroke is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women. The aim of the study was to evaluate functional and psychological quality of life in women after a first-ever stroke as well as to identify independent predictors of post-stroke quality of life.Cross-sectional and correlational study.A group of 46 women (mean age 67.1 yrs) after a first-ever ischemic stroke was followed up for 6 months after the onset of the stroke. Quality of life was assessed with the Polish versions of Sickness Impact Profile and Quality of Life Index. The variables studied were neurological and functional status, depression, lateralization, age, gender, marital status, education, living arrangement, emotional support.The study has shown that the quality of life of investigated women was significantly worse than that of subjects' from a comparative group. Neurological status, depression and emotional support was the most important correlates of quality of life.Rehabilitation focused on fostering physical independency, treatment of depression and strengthening social support may be decisive factors in improving post-stroke quality of life.

Introduction Symptomatic remission is an important outcome of schizophrenia however its association with social functioning (SF) and quality of life (QoL) hasn't been fully recognized. Objectives To assess SF and QoL in association with remission status according to Andreasen criteria. Methods This was a study of a group 64 patients hospitalized for the first time between 1998 - 2002. They were assessed 1 month following discharge (T. 1), 12 months later (T. 2), 4 – 6 years after T.1 (T. 3) and 7–11 years after T.1 (T. 4). Results During the observation 17.2% were remitted (Group 1), 37.5% were remitted or non remitted (Group 2), and 45.3% were non remitted (Group 3). There were differences between the groups however SFS and QL didn't change. Remission status Time 1 (mean) Time 2 (mean) Time 3 (mean) Time 4 (mean) P value Group 1 recovered n=11 SFS 114.1 112.1 118.6 119.5 0.08 WHOQOL 92.7 92.4 94.4 93.9 0.99 Group 2 recovered/non-recovered n=24 SFS 103.9 105.4 110.5 111.2 0.18 WHOQOL 85.9 85.4 88.4 86.9 0.42 Group 3 non-recovered n=29 SFS 98.6 99.2 99.6 100.4 0.61 WHOQOL 77.8 78.7 75.6 77.1 0.96 [Table Social functioning and QoL] Conclusion Close association between remission status and SF and QoL suggests that remission status may be a good indicator for SF and QoL in schizophrenia.

ObjectivesAnalysis of correlation between psychopathology and quality of life (QoL) of schizophrenic patients during 4-6 years after the first psychiatric hospitalisation.MethodsStudy population included 74 patients. They were assessed at fixed time-points: 1 month and 13 months after the hospitalisation and 4-6 years after the first examination (T1, T2 and T3, respectively). The following instruments were used to assess symptoms, objective and subjective QoL: PANSS (5-factors), Social Functioning Scale (SFS) and WHOQOL.ResultsAt T1, the mean PANSS score was 62.4. Significant deterioration was noticed in all groups of symptoms, with the exception of cognitive functions. The greatest deterioration was observed in the negative symptoms and depression/anxiety. At T1, the mean SFS score was 103.4, while mean overall subjective QoL scored 3.3. During the follow-up period, significant improvement of SFS was noticed, with no meaningful change in WHOQOL and concomitant exacerbation of symptoms. QOL was particularly compromised by negative symptoms and depression/anxiety.Correlation between SFS and negative symptoms varied from -0.61 to -0.76, while those between SFS score and depression/anxiety - from -0.40 to -0.66. Correlation between subjective QoL and negative symptoms as well as depression/anxiety ranged from -0.31 (environment) to -0.64 (physical domain). To a large extent, symptoms were responsible for variance in both SFS and WHOQOL scores.Conclusions1)Clinical course of schizophrenia varied, depending on adopted criteria of evaluation.2)Negative symptoms and depression/anxiety had a particularly deleterious influence on QoL. The role these symptoms varied, depending on time elapsed since the first hospitalisation.

Background and purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate quality of life (QoL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to assess the relationship between QoL and social support taking into account key clinical factors and other socio-demographic variables. Material and methods Two hundred and ten MS patients (150 women and 60 men) aged between 21 and 59 years were evaluated; the MS group was compared with 108 healthy controls. QoL (MSQOL-54), disease severity (Expanded Disability Status State, EDSS), social support (Social Provisions Scale, SPS), mood (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and basic clinical and demographic data were assessed. Results Disease severity was mild (EDSS 13) were present in 41% of patients. Mean physical health composite of MSQOL-54 was 53.6 ± 20.7 and mean mental health composite was 60.0 ± 19.8. MS patients scored significantly lower than healthy subjects. Mean SPS was 78.2 ± 10.9 (range, 6–96) which indicated high social support. In bivariate analysis, social support correlated significantly with the majority of MSQOL domains; in multivariate analysis, however, this relationship was not significant. Emotional well-being was the main predictor of QoL, in both physical and mental domains. Conclusions MS influences QoL but to a greater extent in the physical than the psychological domain. The role of social support in QoL is generally positive but its protective function may be weakened when interacting with other factors. Depression is the main predictor of QoL when adjusted for other factors. Thus, treatment of mood disturbances might significantly improve QoL in MS patients.