This study was a descriptive survey designed to examine the levels of psychological flexibility, medication adherence, self-determination, and quality of life among patients with schizophrenia using community mental health services, and to identify th...
This study was a descriptive survey designed to examine the levels of psychological flexibility, medication adherence, self-determination, and quality of life among patients with schizophrenia using community mental health services, and to identify the effects of psychological flexibility, medication adherence, and self-determination on quality of life.
The participants were 158 patients with schizophrenia who were receiving services from 11 mental rehabilitation facilities and mental health welfare centers in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province and who voluntarily agreed to participate after understanding the purpose of the study. Data were collected through face-to-face questionnaires from September 10 to November 25, 2025.
The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.0. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, were used to analyze participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and disease- and service-related characteristics. Differences according to these characteristics were analyzed using independent t-tests and one-way ANOVA. Pearson’s correlation analysis was conducted to examine relationships among variables. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing quality of life, with sociodemographic characteristics, disease- and service-related characteristics, and psychological and behavioral variables entered stepwise.
The mean age of the participants was 47.18±12.13 years. The mean scores for psychological flexibility, medication adherence, and self-determination were 36.61±9.35, 7.20±2.34, and 70.09±17.58, respectively. The mean quality of life score was 65.00±12.71, with the social relationships domain showing the lowest score(52.85±19.16). Quality of life was positively correlated with psychological flexibility (r=.47, p<.001), medication adherence (r=.42, p<.001), and self-determination (r=.70, p<.001). In the final hierarchical regression model controlling for sociodemographic and disease- and service-related characteristics, self-determination (β=.59, p<.001) and psychological flexibility (β=.25, p<.001) were identified as significant predictors of quality of life. Living alone was also a significant factor associated with quality of life (β=.14, p=.044), suggesting the potential role of autonomy and independent living experiences. Medication adherence, although significantly correlated with quality of life, did not remain an independent predictor in the final model (p=.064). The final model explained 62% of the variance in quality of life (Adjusted R²=.62).
In conclusion, the quality of life of community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia was more strongly explained by psychosocial resources such as self-determination and psychological flexibility than by medication adherence alone. These findings suggest that community mental health services should move beyond a medication-centered approach and incorporate recovery-oriented interventions that enhance autonomy, self-determination, and psychological flexibility.