Mastery and stigma in predicting the subjective quality of life of patients with schizophrenia in Taiwan

A total of 199 outpatients with schizophrenia are assessed in this study for their sense of mastery, stigma, social support, symptom severity, and quality of life (QOL), with path models being used to test the direct and indirect effects of these factors on the physical, psychological, social, and environmental QOL domains. Symptoms, stigma, mastery, and social support are found to be key direct predictors for all 4 QOL domains, with mastery having the greatest direct effect on QOL, whereas stigma has the greatest indirect effect, although mediated by mastery and social support. Such results imply that in nonwestern cultures, mastery and stigma are still crucial factors affecting the QOL of patients with schizophrenia. Our results highlight the importance of enhancing the mastery of such patients and reducing the associated stigma when designing treatment programs. To enhance the QOL of patients with schizophrenia, interventions which can optimize the meaningful use of time may well enhance the mastery of these patients, whereas strategies aimed at improving their ability to cope with perceived stigma, at both individual and community levels, may help to reduce the detrimental effects.