Jiajia Dong’s research while affiliated with Nanjing Medical University and other places

Background Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) often experience lower socioeconomic status (SES) and rehabilitation status, leading to a poorer quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to explore whether rehabilitation status serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between SES and QoL in individuals with SMI. Methods A total of 1,105 individuals with SMI from 23 community health centers in Nanjing were recruited through a random sampling method. The General Information Questionnaire, the Morning Side Rehabilitation Status Scale and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item Survey were used for assessment. Latent class analysis was employed to categorize patients’ SES based on five socioeconomic indicators. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between SES, rehabilitation status, and QoL. Path analysis was used to estimate the direct effect between SES on QoL and the indirect effect mediated by rehabilitation status. Results The 1,105 patients were categorized into two groups based on their SES: low SES (796 patients, 72%) and high SES (309 patients, 28%). The findings revealed a negative correlation between SES and rehabilitation scores (r = -0.142, p < 0.001), whereas a positive correlation was observed between SES and QoL (r = 0.180, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between rehabilitation scores and QoL (r = -0.608, p < 0.001). The study also found that the relationship between SES and QoL was partially mediated by rehabilitation status, with a mediating effect value of 32%. Conclusions Individuals with SMI experience impaired QoL, which may be improved by addressing both SES and rehabilitation status.

Background Individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) are at an increased risk of exhibiting violent behaviors, which may result in significant negative consequences, including damaged relationships, property destruction, and harm to themselves or others. The purpose is to investigate the current status of violent behaviors among individuals with SMIs and identify factors within the demographic information, psychological status, and treatment status of individuals with SMIs that may influence the occurrence of violent behaviors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1108 individuals with SMIs. The Logistic regression and Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) tree model were employed to analyze the influencing factors of violent behaviors in individuals with SMIs and compare their predictive performance. Results 49.6% of the participants engaged in violent behaviors in the past 12 months. The study identified that factors influencing violent behavior in individuals with SMIs include medication adherence, self-reported health status, employment, household income, experience of discrimination, disease concealment, access to medical assistance, and comorbidities. Medication adherence was identified as the most critical factor affecting violent behavior in individuals with SMIs. Logistic regression model and CHAID tree model had comparable predictive accuracy with AUC values of 0.734 and 0.730, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed in the predictive performance of the two models (Z = -0.745, P = 0.456). Conclusions Individuals with SMIs are at a higher risk of violent behavior, which is influenced by multiple factors, particularly medication adherence. This adherence may be a key determinant in the occurrence of violent behavior among individuals with SMIs. Healthcare professionals should implement targeted interventions addressing these influencing factors to prevent the manifestation of violent behavior in individuals with SMIs.

Objective Patients with severe mental illnesses(SMIs) often experience a diminished quality of life(QOL), and a validated tool to assess their QOL remains lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of SF-36v2 among Chinese SMIs patients to determine its suitability for assessing their QOL. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 924 randomly selected SMIs patients from 23 community health centers in Nanjing, China. The reliability of the SF-36v2 was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha and split-half reliability. Factor structure was examined by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent validity was evaluated using average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR). Results The SF-36v2 scale demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.941 and split-half reliability of 0.965. A slight ceiling effect was observed in the Social Function dimension (17.6%). CFA confirmed the acceptability of the hypothesized model, with the measurement model meeting all relevant fit metrics (X²/ df = 1.552, p < 0.05, RMR = 0.037, GFI = 0.950, AGFI = 0.942, CFI = 0.984, NFI = 0.955, RMSEA = 0.024). For each dimension, AVE > 0.5 and CR > 0.7, indicating good convergent validity of the scale. The square root of the AVE from the variables was greater than the correlation between the dimensions in the model, supporting the scale’s discriminant validity. Additionally, the PCS (43.74 ± 10.28) and MCS (43.74 ± 10.28) scores of patients with SMIs were significantly lower than the Chinese general population norm (p < 0.001). Conclusions The SF-36v2 demonstrated robust psychometric properties, making it a reliable and valid tool for assessing QOL in SMIs patients. Its application can facilitate an objective evaluation of QOL in this population and inform treatment decisions accordingly.

Background Severe mental illnesses (SMIs) have become one of the public health problems of great concern in society, which not only bring physical and mental pain to patients but also heavy burden to families. It is known that the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients and caregivers’ social support are correlated with caregivers’ family burden of disease, but the interaction mechanism among them is not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between HRQoL in patients with SMIs and the family burden of disease and to examine the mediating role of caregivers’ social support. Methods From January to July 2022, this cross-sectional study was conducted in 23 community health service centers in Nanjing, China. We recruited 924 patients with SMIs and their caregivers, using a random sampling method. Hayes’ PROCESS macro was used to test the mediation effect of caregivers’ social support in the relationship between patients’ HRQoL and family burden of disease. Indirect effects were tested using bootstrapped confidence intervals (CI). Results The SF-36 score of patients with SMIs was 57.85 (49.59, 63.64), while the caregivers’ social support was measured at 32.00 (27.00, 35.00), and the family burden of disease scored 16.00 (8.00, 24.00). Spearman correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between the patients’ HRQoL and the family burden of disease (r = -0.54, p < 0.01). Furthermore, caregivers’ social support was negatively correlated with the family burden of disease (r = -0.19, p < 0.01). The mediating role of caregivers’ social support between the patients’ HRQoL and the family burden of disease was confirmed by the Bootstrap test (p < 0.01), with a mediating effect of 2.75% (β = -0.016, 95% CI = -0.031, -0.002). Conclusions This study highlights that caregivers experience a heavy family burden of disease. The patients’ HRQoL not only directly affects the family burden of disease but also indirectly influences it through the caregivers’ social support. Therefore, relevant departments need to prioritize improving patients’ HRQoL and expanding caregivers’ social support networks when developing targeted intervention programs to reduce the family burden of SMIs.

Severe mental illnesses (SMIs) represent a significant public health challenge with substantial personal, economic and societal burdens. Despite treatment advances, recovery outcomes for SMI patients remain variable. This study aimed to investigate the influence of personal and psychosocial factors on recovery among SMI patients in community health settings. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 23 community health service centres in Nanjing, China. We recruited 924 participants diagnosed with SMIs, using a random sampling method. The relationships between individual, psychosocial factors and patients' recovery status were analysed by multiple linear regression. The mediation effect of medication adherence was further tested by the Sobel test with bootstrapping. The mean score of the Morningside Rehabilitation Status Scale (MRSS) of 924 patients with SMIs was 49.82 ± 41.52. The main influencing personal factors of recovery status were age, marital status, education, average annual income and duration of illness. Patients who were accepted by their families tended to have better recovery outcomes, while stigma and social impairment may hinder recovery. Medication adherence played a mediating role between psychosocial factors and recovery status. This study highlights the crucial role of psychosocial factors in the treatment and recovery of SMI patients. Furthermore, medication adherence emerged as a mediating factor. Implementing targeted interventions and policies addressing identified psychosocial barriers can offer promising avenues for improving recovery outcomes for SMI patients in community settings.