Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

Title abbreviation: Adv Clin Exp Med
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ISSN 1899–5276 (print)
ISSN 2451-2680 (online)
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Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

2012, vol. 21, nr 2, March-April, p. 215–223

Publication type: original article

Language: English

The Social and Occupational Functioning of Outpatients from Mental Health Services

Funkcjonowanie społeczne i zawodowe pacjentów ambulatoryjnej opieki psychiatrycznej

Joanna Rymaszewska1,, Justyna Mazurek2,

1 Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland

2 Academic Hospital, Wroclaw, Poland

Abstract

Background. Many authors stress the important correlation between disorders and social disability.
Objectives. The aim of the project was the assessment of the occupational and relational social functioning of persons who suffer from different mental disorders.
Material and Methods. During the 15 months of the project, enrollment was conducted among patients calling in to three outpatient psychiatric clinics in the Lower Silesia region in Poland. The study included persons (n = 185) at the age of 18–54 from five diagnostic groups, according to ICD-10: psychotic disorders (F2), affective disorders (F3), anxiety disorders (F4), eating disorders (F5) and personality disorders (F6). Functioning was evaluated using the Groningen Social Disabilities Schedule (GSDS II), the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS) and the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning (GARF).
Results. The group which had the highest level of functioning with a disability consisted of persons with the F2 diagnosis (1.42, SD = 0.63), whereas persons with anxiety disorders had the lowest disability (0.72, SD = 0.59). The severity of psychopathological symptoms was indeed related to social functioning. There was a significant correlation between general social functioning (the overall GSDS score) and the number of episodes (cor = 0.289; p = 0.001), hospitalizations (cor = 0.352; p < 0.001) and days on leave (cor = 0.393; p < 0.001) for the sample as a whole.
Conclusion. The functional disabilities indicated within the majority of patients give strong arguments for introducing the diagnosis and therapy of these disabilities and implementation of them to the standards of psychiatric treatment.

Streszczenie

Wprowadzenie. Wielu autorów podkreśla istotną korelację między zaburzeniem psychicznym a niesprawnością społeczną.
Cel pracy. Ocena poziomu niesprawności społecznej i zawodowej wśród osób z różnymi rozpoznaniami psychiatrycznymi.
Materiał i metody. Badanie przeprowadzono w ciągu 15 miesięcy wśród pacjentów zgłaszających się do trzech poradni zdrowia psychicznego na Dolnym Śląsku w Polsce. Do badania zostały włączone osoby (n = 185) w wieku 18–54 lat z pięciu grup diagnostycznych według ICD-10: zaburzeń schizofrenicznych (F2), zaburzeń afektywnych (F3), zaburzeń nerwicowych, związanych ze stresem i pod postacią somatyczną (F4), zaburzeń odżywiania (F5) i zaburzeń osobowości (F6). Funkcjonowanie oceniano za pomocą Formularza Niesprawności Społecznej Groningen (GSDS II), Skali Oceny Funkcjonowania Społeczno-Zawodowego (SOFAS) oraz Skali Globalnej Oceny Funkcjonowania w Związkach (GARF).
Wyniki. Osoby z zaburzeniami schizofrenicznymi (F2) odznaczały się najwyższym poziomem niesprawności społecznej (1,42, SD = 0,63), a pacjenci z zaburzeniami nerwicowymi, związanymi ze stresem i pod postacią somatyczną – najniższym (0,72; SD = 0,59). Nasilenie objawów psychopatologicznych w sposób istotny było związane z funkcjonowaniem społecznym. Stwierdzono istotną korelację między ogólnym poziomem niesprawności społecznej oraz liczbą epizodów (cor = 0,289; p = 0,001), hospitalizacji (cor = 0,352; p < 0,001) oraz dni na urlopie (cor = 0,393; p < 0,001) dla całej grupy pacjentów.
Wnioski. Stwierdzone u większości badanych zaburzenia funkcjonowania społecznego uzasadniają wprowadzenie terapii tych zaburzeń do standardów leczenia psychiatrycznego.

Key words

social disability, functioning, mental disorders, outpatient clinics

Słowa kluczowe

niesprawność społeczna, funkcjonowanie, zaburzenia psychiczne, pacjenci leczeni ambulatoryjnie

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