Quality af Life Among Persons With Mental Disorders

Over the last 50 years considerable changes in psychiatry have taken place but still mental disorders are one of the diseases with the most negative influence on patients quality of life and serious social consequences. This article gives a review of quality of life definitions, tools and updated studies on quality of life in persons with mental disoredrs. It has been stressed that the latest studies have shown that the main role in subjective quality of life play patients needs and if these needs from patients point of view are met or unmet. Many authors suggest the necessity of taking needs and satisfaction with services under consideration in treatment and rehabilitation. But still correlation among patients needs, satisfaction with services, social functioning and quality of life require further studies. There is also lack of studies on factors connected with specific kinds of neds and comparing needs of persons with different psychiatric disorders. So far there have been only few such studies in Poland.