Consumer satisfaction, quality of life and distress with regard to social function and gender in severe mental illness

OBJECTIVE: The relationships between subjective satisfaction, distress and quality of life for severely mental ill patients with different functional levels and gender was investigated in a multi-center cohort, using a balanced mix of subjective and clinician ratings in an outcome-informed model for a clinical management based on shared decision making, “The Quality Star”. METHODS: Naturalistic data for 2552 persons, mainly with schizophrenia diagnoses, in longterm treatment and rehabilitation, were analyzed in a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: With increasing Social Function, rated with the split-GAF Disability/ Functioning scale, the better were patients’ Satisfaction, subjective Quality of life and Perceived Global Distress. Women were more satisfied with the care but also more distressed. CONCLUSION: Main findings were in line with other studies. However, the gender differences are in line with some, but not with other, studies. This poses questions how patient factors, instrument constructs, and treatment, especially shared decision making, influence subjective reports.