An examination of the social integration levels, perceptions of parenthood, and life satisfaction of individuals with severe mental disorders

This study was conducted as a cross-sectional study to examine the levels of social integration, perceptions of parenthood, and life satisfaction of patients attending Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs). The study included 403 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder from five CMHCs affiliated with a psychiatric hospital in Istanbul. The Sociodemographic Information Form, the Community Integration Scale for Adults with Psychiatric Disorders, the Perception of Parenthood Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Scale were used in the study. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25. The Independent Samples T-Test, Tukey HSD, Games-Howell, One-Way ANOVA, and mediation analysis were used for data analysis. It was found that 44.1% of the participants were diagnosed with Bipolar Mood Disorder, while 55.9% were diagnosed with Schizophrenia. The total reliability value of the Community Integration Scale for Adults with Psychiatric Disorders was calculated as 0.934, the total Cronbach's Alpha value of the Perception of Parenthood Scale was 0.841, and the total Cronbach's Alpha value of the Life Satisfaction Scale was 0.845. The results indicated a statistically significant moderate positive correlation between the Community Integration Scale scores and the Perception of Parenthood Scale scores, as well as between the Community Integration Scale scores and the Life Satisfaction Scale scores in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Similarly, a statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between the Perception of Parenthood Scale scores and the Life Satisfaction Scale scores. It was determined that life satisfaction plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between social integration and the perception of parenthood in adults with psychiatric disorders. No statistically significant difference was found between marital status and having children in relation to Community Integration Scale scores for individuals with psychiatric disorders, whereas a significant difference was observed in the Perception of Parenthood Scale and the Life Satisfaction Scale categories based on marital status. The study also revealed a relationship between sociodemographic variables and the scales used. In this context, it is believed that increasing and diversifying CMHC services will positively contribute to the lives of individuals with severe mental illnesses. Additionally, future longitudinal studies are expected to contribute to a better understanding of causal relationships between variables.