Psychiatry Res. 2026 Jul 4;364:117312. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117312. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a disabling mental disorder. Quality of life (QoL) reflects patients’ social-psychological prognosis in mental health services. Sleep and physical activity relate to symptoms and prognosis closely, but their interplay and link to QoL are unclear. This study aimed to explore their impact on schizophrenia patients’ QoL.
METHODS: The samples for this study were derived from Shanghai Community-based Severe Mental Disorders cohort. QoL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Scale Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF); sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 24 and R 4.4.1. We used linear regressions to assess the impact of sleep quality, analysis of variance for PA, and analysis of variance and post-hoc tests for the interaction effect.
RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 5210 cases, with an average age of 59.0 years. Among them, 2,778 were female (53.3%). The patient scored the lowest on the dimension of social relationships (M = 12.864, SD = 2.254) regarding their QoL. Improvement in sleep and an increase in physical activity (all p < 0.001) both contribute to QoL of patients. For the environmental health (F = 5.013, p = 0.007, ηp2 = 0.002) dimension, the two have a mutual compensatory effect.
CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the significance of sleep and physical activity for the recovery of patients with schizophrenia, particularly highlighting the crucial role of improving sleep.
PMID:42430832 | DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117312
