Self-Esteem in Patients who have Recovered from Psychosis: Profile and Relationship to Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: New developments in pharmacotherapy are likely to improve substantially the symptomatic recovery from psychosis but low self-esteem may compromise quality of life. AIMS: To investigate the profile and correlates of self-esteem in individuals who have achieved symptomatic recovery from psychosis and determine its relationship with quality of life. METHOD: Sixty-one individuals who had been free of psychotic symptoms for 6 months were selected during a community-based epidemiological survey of psychoses. Participants were evaluated for subjective assessment of self-esteem using a self-report questionnaire, for clinical and antecedent features of illness, and for quality of life. RESULTS: Forty-three percent had scores in the range indicative of low self-esteem on the questionnaire. Level of self-esteem was unrelated to gender, employment status, the type of psychotic disorder, course of disorder or premorbid social adjustment. Depression was associated with reduced levels of self-esteem. However, independent of depression and other confounding variables, a low level of self-esteem was a risk factor for impaired quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Self-esteem is often low among persons who have achieved symptomatic recovery from psychosis, is associated with depression and is a predictor of quality of life.