Impact of Deinstitutionalization on the Quality of Life of Individuals with Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Objective To characterize and analyze the quality of life (QoL) of deinstitutionalized users served by the the Psychosocial Attention Center (CAPS) of a city in the Zona da Mata Mineira. Methods. This is an observational cross-sectional study. It was included 75 participants of both sexes, with ages varying between 18 and 65 years, users of the CAPS located in a city of the Zona da Mata Mineira. All participants were initially submitted to an anamnesis containing data from socio-demographic and clinical history and then had their QOL evaluated by the validated instrument SF-3614. Results. Of the 75 patients interviewed, 63 (84%) reported significant improvement in their QOL and psychosocial progress after deinstitutionalization and entry to the CAPS. It was also observed that after the exit of these patients from prolonged psychiatric hospitalization, only 30 (40%) returned to the labor market and 5 (6.6%) returned to the student body. Conclusion. Finally, the data of this study reinforce the importance of the process of psychiatric deinstitutionalization in the improvement of the QoL of the users and relatives and in the offer of the integrality of the care, so that the social valorization, the development of potentialities and the capacity to act as an active agent in society are as important as the clinical follow-up of mental illness.