ALPHA PSYCHIATRY
Original Articles

Evaluation of the effect of schizophrenia patients’ beliefs about their auditory hallucination on the disease

Alpha Psychiatry 2016; 17: 285-291
DOI: 10.5455/apd.201003
Read: 937 Downloads: 528 Published: 01 August 2016

Objective: In schizophrenia, auditory hallucinations and their interpretations by the patients are thought to effect the life quality, functionality, self-esteem of the patient and the course of the disease. From this point forth, in our study we aimed to evaluate the effect of the beliefs of schizophrenia patients about their auditory hallucinations, on the duration of the disease, the life quality and self-esteem of the patients. Methods: Seventy patients staying in the inpatient clinics of Bakirkoy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman for Psychiatric, Neurosurgery and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital who are diagnosed as schizophrenia according to DSM-IV-TR, are enrolled into the study. Patients are assessed through sociodemographic data form, Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Life Quality Scale in Schizophrenia. Results: 34.3% of the patients that are enrolled into the study have positive beliefs and 65.7% have negative beliefs about their auditory hallucinations. Disease duration is 7.2 years for the patients who had positive beliefs and 10 years for the patients who have negative beliefs. Treatment noncompliance or irregular drug usage is found as 29.2% in patients with positive beliefs and treatment noncompliance or irregular drug usage is found as 60.8% in patients with negative beliefs about their hallucinations. In our study; 87.5% of the patients, who have positive beliefs, have high self-esteem, on the other hand; only 8.7% of the patients who have negative beliefs about their hallucinations, have high self-esteem. As we go through the life quality scale, the mean score in the positive believer group is 87.5 and in the negative believer group the mean score is 52.5. Conclusion: In our study it’s found that, in schizophrenia patients, positive beliefs about auditory hallucinations are related with shorter duration of the disease, higher self-esteem, higher quality of life and more compliance to the treatment. [Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg 2016; 17(4.000): 285-291]

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