Establishing Culturally Sensitive Therapeutic Communities in Ghana for Individuals with Severe and Persistent Mental Illnesses

This paper makes a proposal for the establishment of therapeutic communities for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses in Ghana. It discusses the history and features of therapeutic communities, as well as the elements that make it compatible with the agenda of the new 2012 Ghana mental health bill. This paper also discusses the present state of mental health care in this West African country and how the establishment of therapeutic communities will promote recovery of people with severe and persistent mental illness, and change the perception of chronic mental illness in Ghana. A discussion of potential modifications of the therapeutic community is offered as well as justifications for maintaining other structural aspects should this establishment materialize in Ghana. The costs of setting up therapeutic communities in this third world country are addressed with the offered conclusion that costs far outweigh the benefits. Finally, given the endeavor of the proposed therapeutic communities to assist in deinstitutionalization of care, cautions are made in this paper to ensure that the trends experienced in the United States with deinstitutionalization are not replicated in Ghana. A proposal is made in the conclusion for Ghana to move past therapeutic communities when developmentally able- to community mental health centers which were in part established to account for some of the fallouts of deinstitutionalization by providing a comprehensive and extensive range of services for people with severe and persistent mental illness.

Les pratiques d’intervention policières auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux : le cas des agents de réponse en intervention de crise du Service de police de la Ville de Montréal

Cette recherche porte sur les pratiques d’intervention des agents de réponse en intervention de crise (RIC), de leur partenaire fixe et des agents en attente de la formation du Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux. Les agents RIC sont des patrouilleurs de première ligne qui ont reçu une formation complète sur les principes d’intervention en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Ce modèle de réponse spécialisée est une solution proactive qui a pour but d’améliorer l’action policière en situation de crise et de veiller à une meilleure prise en charge de ces personnes par les ressources institutionnelles. La désinstitutionnalisation des soins et des services psychiatriques a eu pour effet une augmentation du nombre de personnes atteintes de troubles mentaux dans la communauté. Par conséquent, cet accroissement a engendré des rapports plus fréquents entre les services policiers et cette clientèle. Les interventions en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale sont particulières et complexes, de même qu’elles requièrent un niveau supérieur de compréhension des crises humaines. Les autorités policières ont admis que ces interventions représentent une part significative de leur travail et que la formation policière traditionnelle ne les prépare pas suffisamment pour intervenir adéquatement auprès de cette population. En réponse à ces considérations et dans l’objectif d’améliorer leur capacité d’agir, les forces policières se sont dotées de modèles de réponse policière spécialisée en intervention de crise. L’approche la plus répandue est l’équipe d’intervention de crise (« crisis intervention team » ou « CIT »), aussi appelée le modèle de Memphis. Il existe plusieurs variantes de ce modèle, mais les composantes principales, c’est-à-dire la formation avancée et la consolidation d’un partenariat avec le système de santé demeurent dans l’ensemble de ces structures. L’objectif de cette recherche consiste à sonder les perceptions des agents RIC, de leur partenaire fixe et des agents en attente de la formation afin de comprendre et de contraster leurs visions et leurs pratiques d’intervention en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Chaque groupe a apporté des précisions intéressantes. Nous avons conduit 12 entrevues qualitatives avec des policiers du SPVM. De façon générale, les participants rapportent que leurs pratiques d’intervention auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux sont davantage ancrées dans une perspective de relation d’aide. Ils mentionnent également que la communication, l’écoute et la confiance doivent être privilégiées avant tout autre stratégie dans les situations qui les permettent et que la force doit être employée seulement lorsqu’elle est nécessaire, c’est-à-dire lorsque leur sécurité ou celle d’autrui est en péril ou lorsque la communication n’est pas possible. Puis, ils admettent que le recours à l’expertise des intervenants en santé mentale permet une analyse plus approfondie de la situation et de l’état mental de la personne visée par l’intervention. D’autre part, en ce qui concerne les limites de la formation policière traditionnelle, les candidats ont soulevé qu’il y a un manque de connaissances en matière de santé mentale ainsi qu’une difficulté associée à l’évaluation de l’état de la personne et du besoin de transport ont été soulevés. Sur le plan des apprentissages, les agents RIC disent avoir une compréhension plus globale de la problématique de santé mentale, de meilleures habiletés communicationnelles, une analyse plus approfondie de la situation, de plus grandes connaissances juridiques, une compréhension du fonctionnement des services hospitaliers ainsi qu’une appréciation particulière pour le partage de savoirs et les principes d’endiguement. Ils font part également de l’importance des rapports pour documenter l’évolution de l’état mental d’une personne et ils ajoutent que la dimension temporelle joue un rôle clé dans la résolution définitive de la problématique. Au sujet des partenaires, ils évoquent des retombées similaires. Toutefois, à la suite de la formation, ils reconnaissent davantage l’importance de leur rôle dans la sécurité de leur partenaire et ils y accordent dorénavant une attention marquée lors de ces interventions. Enfin, les agents non formés formulent des attentes relatives au développement d’outils et de compétences, ce qui leur sera rendu dans la formation RIC. Globalement, les agents RIC et les partenaires interviewés ont modifié leurs pratiques pour les arrimer avec la philosophie des interventions en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Ils ont également davantage confiance en leurs capacités et habiletés d’intervention auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux grâce aux connaissances acquises dans la formation.

Les pratiques d’intervention policières auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux : le cas des agents de réponse en intervention de crise du Service de police de la Ville de Montréal

Cette recherche porte sur les pratiques d’intervention des agents de réponse en intervention de crise (RIC), de leur partenaire fixe et des agents en attente de la formation du Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux. Les agents RIC sont des patrouilleurs de première ligne qui ont reçu une formation complète sur les principes d’intervention en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Ce modèle de réponse spécialisée est une solution proactive qui a pour but d’améliorer l’action policière en situation de crise et de veiller à une meilleure prise en charge de ces personnes par les ressources institutionnelles. La désinstitutionnalisation des soins et des services psychiatriques a eu pour effet une augmentation du nombre de personnes atteintes de troubles mentaux dans la communauté. Par conséquent, cet accroissement a engendré des rapports plus fréquents entre les services policiers et cette clientèle. Les interventions en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale sont particulières et complexes, de même qu’elles requièrent un niveau supérieur de compréhension des crises humaines. Les autorités policières ont admis que ces interventions représentent une part significative de leur travail et que la formation policière traditionnelle ne les prépare pas suffisamment pour intervenir adéquatement auprès de cette population. En réponse à ces considérations et dans l’objectif d’améliorer leur capacité d’agir, les forces policières se sont dotées de modèles de réponse policière spécialisée en intervention de crise. L’approche la plus répandue est l’équipe d’intervention de crise (« crisis intervention team » ou « CIT »), aussi appelée le modèle de Memphis. Il existe plusieurs variantes de ce modèle, mais les composantes principales, c’est-à-dire la formation avancée et la consolidation d’un partenariat avec le système de santé demeurent dans l’ensemble de ces structures. L’objectif de cette recherche consiste à sonder les perceptions des agents RIC, de leur partenaire fixe et des agents en attente de la formation afin de comprendre et de contraster leurs visions et leurs pratiques d’intervention en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Chaque groupe a apporté des précisions intéressantes. Nous avons conduit 12 entrevues qualitatives avec des policiers du SPVM. De façon générale, les participants rapportent que leurs pratiques d’intervention auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux sont davantage ancrées dans une perspective de relation d’aide. Ils mentionnent également que la communication, l’écoute et la confiance doivent être privilégiées avant tout autre stratégie dans les situations qui les permettent et que la force doit être employée seulement lorsqu’elle est nécessaire, c’est-à-dire lorsque leur sécurité ou celle d’autrui est en péril ou lorsque la communication n’est pas possible. Puis, ils admettent que le recours à l’expertise des intervenants en santé mentale permet une analyse plus approfondie de la situation et de l’état mental de la personne visée par l’intervention. D’autre part, en ce qui concerne les limites de la formation policière traditionnelle, les candidats ont soulevé qu’il y a un manque de connaissances en matière de santé mentale ainsi qu’une difficulté associée à l’évaluation de l’état de la personne et du besoin de transport ont été soulevés. Sur le plan des apprentissages, les agents RIC disent avoir une compréhension plus globale de la problématique de santé mentale, de meilleures habiletés communicationnelles, une analyse plus approfondie de la situation, de plus grandes connaissances juridiques, une compréhension du fonctionnement des services hospitaliers ainsi qu’une appréciation particulière pour le partage de savoirs et les principes d’endiguement. Ils font part également de l’importance des rapports pour documenter l’évolution de l’état mental d’une personne et ils ajoutent que la dimension temporelle joue un rôle clé dans la résolution définitive de la problématique. Au sujet des partenaires, ils évoquent des retombées similaires. Toutefois, à la suite de la formation, ils reconnaissent davantage l’importance de leur rôle dans la sécurité de leur partenaire et ils y accordent dorénavant une attention marquée lors de ces interventions. Enfin, les agents non formés formulent des attentes relatives au développement d’outils et de compétences, ce qui leur sera rendu dans la formation RIC. Globalement, les agents RIC et les partenaires interviewés ont modifié leurs pratiques pour les arrimer avec la philosophie des interventions en contexte de crise ou de santé mentale. Ils ont également davantage confiance en leurs capacités et habiletés d’intervention auprès des personnes en crise ou atteintes de troubles mentaux grâce aux connaissances acquises dans la formation.

Community and cluster centre residential services for adults with intellectual disability: long-term results from an Australian-matched sample

Changes in residential accommodation models for adults with intellectual disability (ID) over the last 20 years in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have involved relocation from institutions primarily into dispersed homes in the community. But an evolving alternative service style is the cluster centre. This paper reports on the relocation of a matched group of 30 pairs of adults with moderate and severe IDs and challenging behaviour who were relocated from an institution into either dispersed housing in the community or cluster centres but under the same residential service philosophy. Adaptive and maladaptive behaviour, choice-making and objective life quality were assessed prior to leaving the institution and then after 12 and 24 months of living in the new residential model. Adaptive behaviour, choice-making and life quality increased for both groups and there was no change in level of maladaptive behaviour compared with levels exhibited in the institution. However, there were some significant differences between the community and cluster centre group as the community group increased some adaptive skills, choice-making and objective life quality to a greater extent than the cluster centre group. Both cluster centre and dispersed community living offer lifestyle and skill development advantages compared with opportunities available in large residential institutions. Dispersed community houses, however, offer increased opportunities for choice-making, acquisition of adaptive behaviours and improved life quality for long-term institutionalized adults with IDs.

Transito religioso e o sujeito da fé: motivações para a prática do trânsito religioso entre os sem religião que se afirmam evangélicos.

A proposta desta pesquisa é discutir o trânsito religioso enquanto uma ação social que só pode ser compreendida a partir de um conjunto de condições sociais e políticas que influenciam o comportamento religioso contemporâneo. O objetivo principal é analisar as motivações para a prática do trânsito religioso dos evangélicos sem religião, no contexto das igrejas evangélicas, com a finalidade de entender o surgimento de um novo sujeito da fé que escolhe romper com a fé institucional, sem ser, necessariamente, um ateu. O que motiva este sujeito a professar uma fé sem vínculo com qualquer instituição religiosa é a questão fundamental deste trabalho, que se divide em três capítulos. No primeiro, analisamos o conjunto de transformações que legitimam o comportamento de transitar entre os vários vínculos religiosos, inclusive ficar sem vínculo. No Segundo, tentamos definir quem são os sem religião e por onde transitam. E no terceiro, discutimos a questão fundamental deste trabalho. O que motiva o evangélico a se desvincular, ou seja, ser um evangélico sem igreja?

NÃO ENTREI EM CRISE COM DEUS: A DESINSTITUCIONALIZAÇÃO DA RELIGIÃO NA ÓTICA DE EX-ALUNOS(AS) DE TEOLOGIA EVANGÉLICA.

Em especial no ocidente, as instituições perdem o seu poder de influência. A religião não ficou isenta de participar deste fenômeno social, apesar de ter ditado o ritmo e o sentido da vida durante muitos séculos. No Brasil um grupo religioso minoritário, a saber, os evangélicos, historicamente tiveram entre as suas principais características a pertença e a participação dos fieis em uma igreja/instituição. Na contemporaneidade tem ocorrido um fenômeno novo neste campo religioso, ou seja, a existência de evangélicos sem vínculo e participação em uma comunidade de fé. Esta dissertação discute este processo de desinstitucionalização. Procurando colaborar para a ampliação da compreensão deste fenômeno, relatando uma pesquisa de campo com ex-alunos(as) de teologia evangélica que, apesar de terem sido treinados para liderar igrejas evangélicas, optaram por não mais pertencer as mesmas. Com este recorte de pesquisa demonstra-se a profundidade deste fenômeno e nas narrativas dos entrevistados constata-se que a espiritualidade e a fé estão para além da instituição/igreja.

A articulação entre a estratégia saúde da família e o Centro de Atenção Psicossocial: análise de experiência em município do Nordeste brasileiro

The antimanicomial psychiatric reform is a process that seeks to deconstruct the exclusionary logic caused by hospitalizations, providing strategies for social reintegration of individuals. In this sense, the primary care through the Family Health Strategy - FHS comes progressively becoming strategic space in mental health interventions, configured as a field of practice and production of new modes of care. In this perspective, there has been a process of implementing this proposal in the Areia Branca City/RN, through the articulation of Psychosocial Care Network and the Family Health Strategy / ESF. However, this process has not been able to bring changes in practices. From the view that the relationship between mental health and primary care is a challenge currently being faced, that improving the care provided and the expansion of the access to services with guaranteed continuity of care depend on the effectiveness of this joint, established themselves as research objective: To investigate how is the relationship between the FHS team and CAPS team in care mental health in the town of Areia Branca - RN from the speeches of professionals. And if you had specific purposes: 1) Know the demand in existing mental health in the town of White Sand - RN served by FHS; 2) Identify limits and difficulties in the relationship between the ESF teams and CAPS; 3) Identify potential for linkages between ESF teams and CAPS for the establishment of local RAPS. This was a descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative methodological design, whose subjects were professionals from the Family Health Strategy, professionals Psychosocial Care Center and responsible for the conduct / management of mental health in the municipality. The research tools used informal observations, semistructured interviews and focus groups were used. The data obtained were analyzed for the content analysis of Bardin, allowing discuss the relevance of the theoretical framework with data obtained through observation and interpretation of the relationship between the Family Health Strategy and the network of Psychosocial Care in Areia Branca-RN. On the one hand, there was strong demand for mental health arising from users and their families and / or caregivers. On the other, it was verified that although there is some progress with regard to perceptions of mental health, there are still practical, historical and contextually rooted, which act as barriers to effective response to this demand in view of deinstitutionalization. In this sense, it is considered important to emphasize that the teams of the Family Health Strategy should be trained to ensure the health practice with integrity and incorporating the mental health network in the municipality. This training must occur through continuing health education.

A atenção à crise e o apoio matricial: analisadores da estratégia atenção psicossocial

The National Policy on Mental Health is characterized as a territorial - political community , and it has the Psychoso cial Care Strategy (Eaps) as guideline for the proposal and the development of their actions. In its design, CAPS is idealized to be a strategic equipment within the Psychoso cial Care Network/RAPS. Matricial support and at tention to the crisis constitute strategic areas of action of CAPS in its replacement mission , and as it is g uided by the scope of deinstitutionalization, those are essential to the success of these services. We argue that sustain crises in existential territories of life is a condition for the effectiveness of psychosocial care and, ultimately, to the sustainability of its Reform. In this direction, the matricial support tool reveals a territorial supporter, intercessory and powerful in building a psychosocial care to the crisis. Recognized as one of the major challenges by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, forward these fronts materializes for workers in their mi cropolitical crafts. Our research arises as an investment toward empower them , and aimed to understand the operationalization of attention to the crisis and matricial support in a CAPS II, in the view of its workers . Besides, it aims to examine such practi ces forward the principles and purposes of Psychosocial Care Strategy. Inspired by the research - intervention and by the political and social ideas of Institutiona l Analysis, we offer a space for reflection and exchange, by implicational interviews , enablin g workers to launch them in analysis of practices in the EAPs view. We have done a documentary consulting CAPS Technical Project, and a return stage to the institution, by organizing workshop and conversation groups with CAPS workers. The results have show n that there are institutional logics in competition on that service. When operating the logic risk, some difficulties in sustaining most intense crisis situations were identified, the psychiatric hospital internment is used as a facility, particularly in view of some cases, in which the aggressiveness of the person in crises becomes aggressive, and when the brackets SAMU, the CAPS III and Comprehensive Care Beds do not respond satisfactorily to their users requests. Order weaknesses were indicated in this thesis as macropolitical and micropolitical interfering in network support. The matricial actions were identified as a powerful intercessor resource in crisis care appeared weakened, and indicates little porosity in the relationship between the Service and the territory where it takes place. Noticed by the logic of home care, without operate primarily as a knowledge exchange device, we saw capture points in the logic of assistance with ambulatoriza tion production of CAPS, welfare practices and "ext empore " . T he E APs , although it emerge s as a guiding, it is not seen to workers as effective practice. On the one hand, the results signaled that the attention to the crisis and the matricial actions are developed without tenacious connection with the purposes of EA Ps, on the other hand, successful cases were indicated with the main leads to conducting wire of intersectoral actions to the powerful bonds and to the participation of user in their care process es , indicating insurgent forces tha t intend by traditional lo gic .

Rupturas y subjetividades : Un acercamiento a la perspectiva de las Trayectorias Laborales

El objetivo del trabajo es estudiar los aportes teóricos que brinda el enfoque de las trayectorias laborales para comprender el conjunto de recorridos heterogéneos, impredecibles y discontinuos que se delinean en la vida laboral de los sujetos. Desde este lugar, realizamos una reflexión crítica junto a una sistematización teórica de aquellas investigaciones que nos aproximen a comprender cómo se construyen las biografías laborales en un contexto de intermitencia e incertidumbre. La perspectiva escogida brinda al análisis social la posibilidad de analizar estos nuevos fenómenos desde su complejidad analítica, al aprehender la dimensión objetiva y subjetiva en su articulación temporal

Rupturas y subjetividades : Un acercamiento a la perspectiva de las Trayectorias Laborales

El objetivo del trabajo es estudiar los aportes teóricos que brinda el enfoque de las trayectorias laborales para comprender el conjunto de recorridos heterogéneos, impredecibles y discontinuos que se delinean en la vida laboral de los sujetos. Desde este lugar, realizamos una reflexión crítica junto a una sistematización teórica de aquellas investigaciones que nos aproximen a comprender cómo se construyen las biografías laborales en un contexto de intermitencia e incertidumbre. La perspectiva escogida brinda al análisis social la posibilidad de analizar estos nuevos fenómenos desde su complejidad analítica, al aprehender la dimensión objetiva y subjetiva en su articulación temporal

Rupturas y subjetividades : Un acercamiento a la perspectiva de las Trayectorias Laborales

El objetivo del trabajo es estudiar los aportes teóricos que brinda el enfoque de las trayectorias laborales para comprender el conjunto de recorridos heterogéneos, impredecibles y discontinuos que se delinean en la vida laboral de los sujetos. Desde este lugar, realizamos una reflexión crítica junto a una sistematización teórica de aquellas investigaciones que nos aproximen a comprender cómo se construyen las biografías laborales en un contexto de intermitencia e incertidumbre. La perspectiva escogida brinda al análisis social la posibilidad de analizar estos nuevos fenómenos desde su complejidad analítica, al aprehender la dimensión objetiva y subjetiva en su articulación temporal

Commodification of health care systems: The Catalan case

Commodification of the public healthcare system has been a growing process in recent decades, especially in universal healthcare systems and in high-income countries like Spain.  There are substantial differences in the healthcare systems of each autonomous region of Spain, among which Catalonia is characterized by having a mixed healthcare system with complex partnerships and interactions between the public and private healthcare sectors.  Using a narrative review approach, this article addresses various aspects of the Catalan healthcare system, characterizing the privatization and commodification of health processes in Catalonia from a historical perspective with particular attention to recent legislative changes and austerity measures.  The article approximates, the eventual effects that commodification and austerity measures will have on the health of the population and on the structure, accessibility, effectiveness, equity and quality of healthcare services.

Fatores Influentes nos Programas Terapêuticos em Doença Mental

O presente estudo partiu de reflexões acerca dos movimentos da reforma assistencial psiquiátrica e o processo de desinstitucionalização. Apresenta-se a evolução dos espaços de loucura e da Saúde Mental até aos conceitos de comunidade terapêutica, reabilitação psicossocial e suporte social. A Saúde mental não pode ser considerada de forma restrita ao indivíduo pois reflete uma experiência grupal. Objetivo: Identificar variáveis capazes de influenciar o decurso de um processo terapêutico, em regime de comunidade terapêutica na área da Saúde Mental. Método: estudo de natureza mista, de carácter exploratório, contou com a informação relativa a 112 pacientes que estão ou estiveram incluídos no programa terapêutico de uma instituição vocacionada para intervenção em sujeitos com patologia mental severa. Foi utilizada uma grelha por nós construída de forma a obter dados relativos às variáveis idade, diagnóstico, nível de retração social, especificidades da estrutura familiar, suporte disponibilizado, grau de motivação e tipo de alta. Resultados: Os dados revelam a importância do tipo de diagnóstico, especificidades da estrutura familiar e grau de motivação para o processo terapêutico. Por meio destas variáveis podemos indiciar o sucesso ou insucesso terapêutico de um doente mental com uma probabilidade de 71,4%. Os dados sublinham ainda a importância da interação social e comportamentos da família para a motivação do doente para o tratamento. / This study was based on reflections about the movements of the psychiatric care reform and the process of deinstitutionalization. It presents the evolution of the spaces of madness and mental health to the concepts of therapeutic community, psychosocial rehabilitation and social support. The mental health can not be considered narrowly as the individual reflects a group experience. Objective: To identify variables that influence the course of a therapeutic process, on a therapeutic community in the area of Mental Health. Method: study of a mixed nature, exploratory, had information on 112 patients who are or have been included in the therapeutic program of an institution devoted to intervention in subjects with severe mental illness. We used a grid constructed by us to obtain data on age, diagnosis, level of social withdrawal, specific family structure, support available, motivation level and type of discharge. Results: The data reveal the importance of the type of diagnosis, the specific family structure and degree of motivation for the therapeutic process. By means of these variables can indicate the success or treatment failure of a mental patient with a probability of 71.4%. The data underline the importance of social interaction and behavior of the family to the patient's motivation for treatment.

Qualidade de vida e suporte social em doentes com esquizofrenia

A Esquizofrenia é considerada pela OMS como uma das dez doenças mais incapacitantes. Sendo uma perturbação complexa e de caráter crónico, gera prejuízos significativos na qualidade de vida dos pacientes. O interesse por este tema surge aquando da desinstitucionalização dos doentes psiquiátricos, contudo os avanços no tratamento desta patologia nem sempre vêm acompanhados de melhora na qualidade de vida, fator este que levou a ter também em consideração, aspetos psicossociais. Assim, pretende-se com este estudo contribuir para a compreensão do nível de satisfação com o suporte social e qualidade de vida destes doentes, comparando-os com indivíduos sem psicopatologia. A amostra é composta por 202 participantes, os quais se dividem em dois grupos, indivíduos com esquizofrenia, que frequentam hospitais na zona norte, centro e sul do país (n=101) e indivíduos sem psicopatologia (n=101), com idades compreendidas entre os 20 e os 75 anos. Os participantes responderam a um protocolo de investigação composto por quatro instrumentos: um questionário sociodemográfico; o WHOQOL-Bref, que avalia a qualidade de vida; a escala de satisfação com o suporte social; e a escala de afeto positivo e negativo. Os resultados principais evidenciam a pouca literatura existente, mostrando que existem diferenças significativas no que refere à qualidade de vida e satisfação com o suporte social entre os indivíduos com esquizofrenia e indivíduos sem patologia psiquiátrica, sendo que os valores mais baixos destas variáveis se concentram nos indivíduos com esquizofrenia. Para estes doentes, verificou-se que a qualidade de vida está positivamente correlacionada com o suporte social e com o afeto positivo, estando também correlacionada negativamente com o afeto negativo. Contudo, não se verificaram correlações da qualidade de vida com a escolaridade, o número de internamentos e o tempo de doença. A satisfação com o suporte social e o afeto positivo e negativo revelaram-se preditores de qualidade de vida nos indivíduos com esquizofrenia. No sentido de promover a melhoria da qualidade de vida destes doentes deverão ser tidas em consideração em vários contextos, intervenções psicossociais.