ILLNESS PERCEPTION AND PERCEIVED STRESS AS PREDICTORS OF QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG OUTPATIENTS OF FEDERAL NEURO- PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, YABA, LAGOS.

Purpose: Empirical evidence have shown that psychiatric out-patients often experience difficulties with getting back to normal family and work routines and relapse. This stimulated this study and made it imperative to examine the extent to which illness perception and perceived stress are implicated in fostering successful re-integration of out-patients back into the society, enhance total adherence to intake of prescribed medications, and increase being compliant to attending check-up at due time, among others. Methodology: The study investigated illness perception and perceived stress as predictors of quality of life among psychiatric patients in Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba, using predictive design. The research sample consisted of sixty-one (61) out-patients at Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba. This comprised of thirty-nine (39; 63.9%) males and twenty two (22; 36.1%) females with mean age of 34.29, S.D 5.60, respectively. The participants were selected by the researcher using purposive sampling technique. They were individually administered the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) – Brief scale, Illness Perception Questionnaire-revised (IPQ-R), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Multiple linear regression statistics was used for testing research hypothesis. Findings: The result revealed significant positive influence of illness perception on quality of life (R2= .048, R2 (adjusted) = .015; β = .205, p<.05). It further revealed that perceived stress significant predicted quality of life (R2= .048, R2 (adjusted) = .015; β = .061, p<.05). The researcher attributed these findings to the fact that psychiatric out-patients may by virtue of their health conditions might still not come to terms with their re-integration.  Recommendation: As a result of the study findings, psychiatric outpatients should be exposed to programmes and psycho-education capable of promoting positive view of their health. Doing so will result to having positive illness perception leading to improve quality of life, since the two variables shared positive relationship. It also recommends that the process of re-integrating psychiatric outpatients back into the society should be done very well, amidst equipping them with required skills and knowledge they will need in handling the stressors they will face, positively.