Health and self-care practices of persons with schizophrenia

Data on the self-care and health-related practices and health status of 22 outpatients with schizophrenia were collected from interviews using a serie s of health survey instruments and a review of patient records. The patient s practiced fewer health-promoting behaviors than nonpsychiatric samples de scribed in the literature and were at risk for premature death primarily du e to Overeating and smoking. They were most similar to persons with chronic physical illness in their perception of the locus of control of their heal th, More than half of the patients had physical conditions requiring medica l management.