{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T06:14:31Z","timestamp":1778652871149,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778630400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Schizophrenia frequently co-occurs with alcohol use disorder (AUD), resulting in a complex clinical profile associated with poor functional outcomes and reduced quality of life (QoL). Although both conditions independently impair psychosocial functioning, few studies have examined the combined effects of clinical, social, and treatment-related factors on QoL in patients with this dual diagnosis.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n This prospective observational study included 88 male inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia and comorbid AUD and who were followed over a 6-month period. Quality of life was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life\u2013BREF (WHOQoL\u2013BREF). The clinical variables included severity of psychotic symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale), alcohol use severity (Michigan Alcohol Screening Test), and treatment characteristics. Social and personal factors, such as self-care capacity, social support, education, and legal problems, were also evaluated. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of QoL at baseline and follow-up.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n At baseline, higher QoL was significantly associated with greater self-care capacity, social support, and higher positive symptom scores, while the need for antipsychotic treatment was associated with lower QoL. At the 6-month follow-up, better QoL was predicted by greater self-care capacity, higher educational level, and receipt of anti-craving medication. By contrast, negative and general psychopathology, medico-legal problems, and the need for antidepressant treatment were associated with poorer QoL. Alcohol use severity, as measured by the MAST, was not independently associated with QoL at either timepoint.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n In patients with schizophrenia and comorbid AUD, QoL is shaped by a complex interaction of clinical severity, functional capacity, and treatment-related factors. Beyond symptom control, interventions targeting self-care, social functioning, and integrated addiction treatment appear essential to improve long-term outcomes. These findings support the implementation of a multidimensional, recovery-oriented approach for the management of patients with the dual diagnosis.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1780813","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T05:54:38Z","timestamp":1778651678000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Romanian male patients with the dual diagnosis of schizophrenia and alcohol use disorder: a prospective study of clinical, social, and treatment-related factors affecting quality of life"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Antonia Ioana","family":"Vasile","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest","place":["Bucharest, Romania"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"Trifu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosciences, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest","place":["Bucharest, Romania"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cristina Alexandra","family":"Negoita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest","place":["Bucharest, Romania"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-015-1104-4","article-title":"Prevalence of substance use disorders in psychiatric patients: a nationwide Danish population-based study","volume":"51","author":"Toftdahl","year":"2016","journal-title":"Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-015-1025-2","article-title":"Substance use disorders in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depressive illness: a registry-based study","volume":"50","author":"Nesv\u00e5g","year":"2015","journal-title":"Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15504263.2025.2515015","article-title":"Concurrent disorders and treatment outcomes: a meta-analysis","volume":"21","author":"Scott","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Dual Diagnosis"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/NDT.S218578","article-title":"Correlation of health-related quality of life in clinically stable out-patients with schizophrenia","volume":"15","author":"Domenech","year":"2019","journal-title":"NDT"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09638288.2022.2040610","article-title":"Patient-reported needs predict perceived psychosocial disability and quality of life beyond symptom severity in schizophrenia","volume":"45","author":"Stefanatou","year":"2023","journal-title":"Disability Rehabil"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.schres.2016.06.017","article-title":"The relationship between experiential deficits of negative symptoms and subjective quality of life in schizophrenia","volume":"176","author":"Savill","year":"2016","journal-title":"Schizophr Res"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1440-1630.12855","article-title":"The relationship between psychopathology, occupational balance, and quality of life among people with schizophrenia","volume":"70","author":"Ercan Do\u011fu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Aus Occup Ther J"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-021-02764-x","article-title":"Relationship between quality of life and social integration among patients with schizophrenia attending a Nigerian tertiary hospital","volume":"30","author":"Ogundare","year":"2021","journal-title":"Qual Life Res"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1080\/13651501.2017.1360500","article-title":"Quality of life in family caregivers of schizophrenia patients in Spain: caregiver characteristics, caregiving burden, family functioning, and social and professional support","volume":"22","author":"Rib\u00e9","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1023\/B:QURE.0000018486.91360.00","article-title":"The World Health Organization\u2019s WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. 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