Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31119453›Full record

SynthesisThe Psychiatric quarterly2019

Quality of Life in Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis of Comparative Studies.

Min Dong, Li Lu, Ling Zhang, Yun-Shu Zhang, Chee H Ng, Gabor S Ungvari, Gang Li, Xiangfei Meng, Gang Wang, Yu-Tao Xiang

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Psychiatric quarterly, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
71citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
7.1field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

71 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 130 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Glutamatergic Modulation of Brain Function in Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies.Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging · 2025
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  14. Self-stigma and suicide risk mediates the associations of inattention/impulsivity symptoms with psychological distress and quality of life among people with schizophrenia.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
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11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.

Min DongUnit of Psychiatry, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
Li LuUnit of Psychiatry, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
Ling ZhangThe National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital & the Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Yun-Shu ZhangDepartment of Sleep Medicine, Hebei Psychiatric Hospital, Baoding, Hebei Province, China.
Chee H NgDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Gabor S UngvariUniversity of Notre Dame Australia, & Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Gang LiUnit of Psychiatry, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
Xiangfei MengDepartment of Psychiatry, McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada.
Gang WangThe National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital & the Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. gangwangdoc@gmail.com.
Yu-Tao XiangUnit of Psychiatry, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China. xyutly@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-2906-0029
University of Macau · MOCapital Medical University · CNDouglas Mental Health University Institute · CAHebei Mental Health Center · CNThe University of Melbourne · AUThe University of Western Australia · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Studies and findings regarding the impact of schizophrenia on quality of life (QOL) has been highly variable. This meta-analysis compared QOL between schizophrenia subjects and healthy controls with a focus on standardized measures. A systematic literature search was conducted through Pubmed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. Only studies using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) or its brief version or the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) were included. Fifteen case-control studies with 2195 schizophrenia subjects and 1508 healthy controls were included in this meta-analysis. The WHOQOL/WHOQOL-BREF score was significantly lower in physical health (SMD = -1.80, 95% CI: -2.31 to -1.28, P < 0.001), psychological health (SMD = -1.28, 95% CI: -1.72 to -0.83, P < 0.001), social relationships (SMD = -1.60, 95% CI: -2.05 to -1.15, P < 0.001), and environment domains (SMD = -0.98, 95% CI: -1.38 to -0.59, P < 0.001) in schizophrenia subjects compared to controls. The SF-36 score was significantly lower in both physical (SMD = -1.09, 95% CI: -1.41 to -0.76, P < 0.001 and mental health domains (SMD = -2.08, 95% CI: -3.58 to -0.59, P = 0.006) in schizophrenia subjects than in controls. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses found that age, male gender, illness duration and income have significant moderating effects on QOL. The meta-analysis of studies with standardized measures confirmed that QOL in schizophrenia subjects is significantly lower than healthy controls. Effective interventions should be developed to improve QOL for this population.

Indexed as

Schizophrenic PsychologyAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleQuality of LifeMeta-analysisQuality of lifeSchizophrenia

Identifiers

PMID31119453
OpenAlexW2945623015

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.