Predictive typology of subjective quality of life among participants with severe mental disorders after a five-year follow-up: a longitudinal two-step cluster analysis

BACKGROUND This study aims to create a predictive typology of quality of life at five-year follow-up of 204 individuals with severe mental disorders, according to clinical, socio-demographic, and health service use variables. METHODS Participant typology was carried out by means of two-step cluster analysis. Independent variables were measured at T0 and subjective quality of life (SQOL) at T2. RESULTS Analysis yielded four classes. SQOL at T2 was higher than the mean in Class 4 ("Older, poorly educated single men living in supervised housing, with psychotic disorders but with few serious needs, receiving substantial help from services") and lower than the mean in Class 2 ("Young females with serious needs and co-occurring mental and addiction disorders living in independent apartments"). CONCLUSION Given that predictive SQOL varies in relation to combinations of associated variables, it would be useful for treatments or service programs to target specific predictors to the different profiles.