Does quality of life differ in schizophrenic women and men? An empirical study.

In our study of 617 schizophrenic patients, we tested the hypothesis that women have a better objective and subjective quality of life than men. Better social integration of women was confirmed. Objective conditions had a significant but quantitatively small impact on satisfaction with specific life domains. Better social integration did not, however, lead to more satisfaction among schizophrenic women. Satisfaction with life in general was better predicted by satisfaction in different life domains than by objective circumstances. Predictors of satisfaction with life were not equal for both sexes. Rather than confirming quantitative differences in subjective quality of life, our data support the existence of gender-specific processes and contexts of subjective valuation.