Personal and interpersonal perceived control and the quality of life of persons with severe mental illness

Abstract

Studies have been carried out to explore the impact of sense of control on the outcome of persons with severe mental illness (SMI). However, few studies have compared the differential effects of perceived personal control (control of the self) and perceived interpersonal control (the control of significant others). In the present study, we investigated the relations between perceived personal and perceived interpersonal control and different domains of quality of life (QOL) of persons with SMI. Measures of perceived personal and interpersonal control and QOL were administered to 145 participants with a diagnosis of SMI (schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders). The results showed personal control to be positively related to various domains of QOL (beta = .28-.31, p < 0.001-0.01) while interpersonal control was negatively related to the physical domain of QOL (beta= -.20, p < 0.05). Theoretical, empirical, and clinical implications of the distinction between personal and interpersonal control for persons with SMI are discussed.