Ssc qol research poster revised

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Project Background In 2007 the Schizophrenia Society of Canada (SSC) revised its mission “to improving the quality of life (QOL) for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis”. A survey was undertaken in 2008 to broaden the meaning of quality of life from a lived perspective. Purpose of survey: Allow consumers and families to self-define QOL. • Adds depth to new mission. • Identifies consumer / family priorities & QOL elements. • Informs SSC education, programming & advocacy. • Strengthens SSC legitimacy to speak for members. • Inform work of Mental Health Commission of Canada. QOL measure limitations • Bio-psycho-social perspective of medicine. • QOL tools do not address concept of recovery. • Used to assess treatment & service outcomes. • Focus on clinical outcomes and adverse effects. • QOL tools reflect ‘researcher defined’ measured. • Recognized as ‘subjective experience’. • QOL of family caregivers largely ignored. Survey Process • Survey design included SSC & provincial leadership. • Reflected QOL & recovery concepts from the literature. • Confidential on-line & hardcopy survey. • Survey in French & English. • Distributed - SSC networks & stakeholder groups. • Qualitative and quantitative questions. • Focus groups in three regions. Who participated? Total 1,086 SURVEY PROFILE • 6 separate facilitated, semi-structured groups. • 433 Consumers & 570 family members. • 72% consumers were male. • 80% of family members were female (46% - mothers). • Average age consumers - 37 yrs. • Average age family 56 years. • 53% consumers live independently, • 27% live with family, 15 live in supported housing. • 100% English consumers dx schizophrenia vs. 83% French consumers. • Average hospitalizations = 5 times. • Length of of illness = average 19 years Focus Group • 81 participants (39 consumers & 42 family) • Participant profile similar to surveys. • St. Johns, NFL, Montreal Quebec & Calgary, Alberta Acknowledgments This project was funded by the SCHIZOPHRENIA SOCIETY OF CANADA FOUNDATION. Many thanks to Chris Summerville, Florence Budden, Pamela Forsythe, Judith McKenzie & Ryan Clarke for their support along with the provincial societies and consumer groups. Messages for health professionals Foster hope & promote recovery practices. Support self-defined QOL goals. Medications are important. But so is QOL. Include people as partners in planning & shared decision-making. Listen, respect & learn. See ‘people’ first. Consider the body, mind and spirit in your focus. Look at people within their family & community. Provide practical help (income, housing, work…) Encourage peer-to-peer support. Include family/caregivers in treatment planning. Support & educate families to improve coping. Deal with stigma & discrimination - your own & others. Neasa Martin: Researcher, Co-investigators: Chris Summerville & Florence Budden, Sponsored by Schizophrenia Society of Canada Direction to SSC Promote hope & recovery as key messages. Develop recovery oriented educational resources. Address stigma & discrimination - promote rights. Promote family as important partners in care. Align advocacy efforts to maximize QOL: Employment is a priority. Support friends, family and community support. Advocate for system reform aligned with QOL. Advocate for safe, affordable housing. QUALITY OF LIFE As defined by people living with schizophrenia and their families… TOP QOL MEASURES Being seen as capable - 96% Acceptance by family - 96% Belief in recovery - 96% Peace & contentment - 94% Support & information – 94% Feeling safe in community – 93% Involvement of friends – 92% Medications - 90% Hope & Optimism -90% Sense of belonging – 90% Social & recreational activities – 90% Positive relations with professionals – 89% Support of family – 87% “The illness is not you – it is just a part of you.” “My life is just like anyone else’s. We all need help in different areas.” EMERGING THEMES Hope, optimism & belief in recovery Consumers believe recover is possible. They need others to share this hope and be optimistic. Families want to believe - but loose faith in the face of illness. Friendship & family support is critical Both say that friends fade away & family is not always supportive. Social exclusion is felt as a deep and painful loss. The loss of friends, family and work breaks bonds to community. Leads to self-stigma. Support of peers is critical to recovery. By default families meet most needs. Strong desire for purpose & meaning People WANT to work. Work gives financial security, social support. Not enough focus is paid to work issues. Disability pensions are a barrier to employment. Medications & professional support 91% take medications - very important to their QOL. People are ambivalent - side effects QOL. Too much focus placed on medications. Control of illness is not the same as QOL. Professional don’t listen - families agree. Multiple supports needed for independence. Access to treatment services essential. Employment services &/ or financial support. Community based services. Many supports not available or are misaligned. Family is being left out Majority want family involved - not being asked. Families feel left out, ignored & criticized. Major source of stress - QOL for both. Families have unique info. & support needs. Balanced lifestyle brings contentment People create meaningful lives - despite their illness. Finding meaning by helping others supports their recovery. Balance includes meaningful work, leisure, friends, exercise, joy, learning, community, spirituality… Families need to find balance too Constant worry, lack of balance, fear of illness, and reduced supports negatively affects their mental health. Consumers want their family to focus more on their own needs. Stigma & discrimination is real People want to be treated equally - they’re are NOT! Basic rights are denied within health care. They feel harshly judged, excluded, feared by family, police, employers, media, professionals and neighbours. Schizophrenia Society of Canada 4 Fort Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C1C4 Tel: 1-204-786-1616 Toll Free: 1-800-263-5545 www.schizophrenia.ca Consumers What Limits QOL Caregivers 69% Symptoms of illness 90% 63% Unemployment 76% 62% Insufficient Income 84% 62% Side effects of medications 84% 59% Feelings of depression 86% 55% Loneliness & Isolation 91% 48% Lack of purpose & meaning 87% 46% Hopelessness for the future 88% 41% Poor physical health 72% 35% Inadequate housing 74% 23% Alcohol & Drug use 73% 22% Police Involvement 65% For further information

Transcript of Ssc qol research poster revised

Project BackgroundIn 2007 the Schizophrenia Society of Canada (SSC)revised its mission “to improving the quality of life (QOL)for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis”. Asurvey was undertaken in 2008 to broaden the meaning ofquality of life from a lived perspective.

Purpose of survey: Allow consumers and families to self-define QOL.• Adds depth to new mission.• Identifies consumer / family priorities & QOL elements.• Informs SSC education, programming & advocacy.• Strengthens SSC legitimacy to speak for members.• Inform work of Mental Health Commission of Canada.

QOL measure limitations• Bio-psycho-social perspective of medicine.• QOL tools do not address concept of recovery.• Used to assess treatment & service outcomes.• Focus on clinical outcomes and adverse effects.• QOL tools reflect ‘researcher defined’ measured.• Recognized as ‘subjective experience’.• QOL of family caregivers largely ignored.

Survey Process• Survey design included SSC & provincial leadership.• Reflected QOL & recovery concepts from the literature.• Confidential on-line & hardcopy survey.• Survey in French & English.• Distributed - SSC networks & stakeholder groups.• Qualitative and quantitative questions.• Focus groups in three regions.

Who participated? Total 1,086SURVEY PROFILE• 6 separate facilitated, semi-structured groups.• 433 Consumers & 570 family members.• 72% consumers were male.• 80% of family members were female (46% - mothers).• Average age consumers - 37 yrs.• Average age family 56 years.• 53% consumers live independently,• 27% live with family, 15 live in supported housing.• 100% English consumers dx schizophrenia vs. 83%French consumers.• Average hospitalizations = 5 times.• Length of of illness = average 19 years

Focus Group• 81 participants (39 consumers & 42 family)• Participant profile similar to surveys.• St. Johns, NFL, Montreal Quebec & Calgary, Alberta

AcknowledgmentsThis project was funded by the SCHIZOPHRENIASOCIETY OF CANADA FOUNDATION. Many thanks toChris Summerville, Florence Budden, Pamela Forsythe,Judith McKenzie & Ryan Clarke for their support along withthe provincial societies and consumer groups.

Messages for health professionals• Foster hope & promote recovery practices.

• Support self-defined QOL goals.

• Medications are important. But so is QOL.

• Include people as partners in planning & shareddecision-making.

• Listen, respect & learn. See ‘people’ first.

• Consider the body, mind and spirit in your focus.

• Look at people within their family & community.

• Provide practical help (income, housing, work…)

• Encourage peer-to-peer support.

• Include family/caregivers in treatment planning.

• Support & educate families to improve coping.

• Deal with stigma & discrimination - your own &others.

Neasa Martin: Researcher, Co-investigators: Chris Summerville & Florence Budden,Sponsored by Schizophrenia Society of Canada

Direction to SSCPromote hope & recovery as key messages.

Develop recovery oriented educational resources.

Address stigma & discrimination - promote rights.

Promote family as important partners in care.Align advocacy efforts to maximize QOL:

• Employment is a priority.

• Support friends, family and community support.• Advocate for system reform aligned with QOL.

• Advocate for safe, affordable housing.

QUALITY OF LIFEAs defined by people living with schizophrenia and their families…

TOP QOL MEASURES

Being seen as capable - 96%Acceptance by family - 96%

Belief in recovery - 96%Peace & contentment - 94%Support & information – 94%

Feeling safe in community – 93%Involvement of friends – 92%

Medications - 90%Hope & Optimism -90%

Sense of belonging – 90%Social & recreational activities – 90%

Positive relations with professionals – 89%Support of family – 87%

“The illness is not you – it is just a part of you.”“My life is just like anyone else’s. We all need help

in different areas.”

EMERGING THEMESHope, optimism & belief in recoveryConsumers believe recover is possible.They need others to share this hope and be optimistic.Families want to believe - but loose faith in the face of illness.

Friendship & family support is criticalBoth say that friends fade away & family is not alwayssupportive.Social exclusion is felt as a deep and painful loss.The loss of friends, family and work breaks bonds tocommunity. Leads to self-stigma.Support of peers is critical to recovery.By default families meet most needs.

Strong desire for purpose & meaningPeople WANT to work.Work gives financial security, social support.Not enough focus is paid to work issues.Disability pensions are a barrier to employment.

Medications & professional support91% take medications - very important to their QOL.People are ambivalent - side effects QOL.Too much focus placed on medications.Control of illness is not the same as QOL.Professional don’t listen - families agree.Multiple supports needed for independence.Access to treatment services essential.Employment services &/ or financial support.Community based services.Many supports not available or are misaligned.

Family is being left outMajority want family involved - not being asked.Families feel left out, ignored & criticized.Major source of stress - QOL for both.Families have unique info. & support needs.

Balanced lifestyle brings contentmentPeople create meaningful lives - despite their illness.Finding meaning by helping others supports their recovery.Balance includes meaningful work, leisure, friends, exercise,joy, learning, community, spirituality…

Families need to find balance tooConstant worry, lack of balance, fear of illness, and reducedsupports negatively affects their mental health.Consumers want their family to focus more on their ownneeds.

Stigma & discrimination is realPeople want to be treated equally - they’re are NOT!Basic rights are denied within health care.They feel harshly judged, excluded, feared by family, police,employers, media, professionals and neighbours.

Schizophrenia Society of Canada 4 Fort Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C1C4 Tel: 1-204-786-1616 Toll Free: 1-800-263-5545 www.schizophrenia.ca

Consumers

What Limits QOL

Caregivers

69% Symptoms of illness

90%

63% Unemployment

76%

62% Insufficient Income

84%

62% Side effects of medications

84%

59% Feelings of depression

86%

55% Loneliness & Isolation

91%

48% Lack of purpose & meaning

87%

46% Hopelessness for the future

88%

41% Poor physical health

72%

35% Inadequate housing

74%

23% Alcohol & Drug use

73%

22% Police Involvement

65%

For further information