The Effect of Negative Symptoms Management Program on Health Related Quality of Life in Persons with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Purpose: 1) to compare the health-related quality of life in persons with schizophrenia before and after receiving the negative symptoms management program, and 2) to compare the health-related quality of life in persons with schizophrenia who received usual nursing care activities.

Design: Quasi-Experimental Research

Methods: The research sample consisted of forty schizophrenia patients who received services in the in-patient department, Srithanya Hospital, who met the inclusion criteria, were matched in pairs and then randomly assigned to an experimental group and control group, with 20 subjects in each group, The experimental group received The negative symptoms management program for 5 weeks. The control group received usual nursing care. Research instruments were: 1) The negative symptoms management program. 2) The SF-36 questionnaire. 3) The negative symptoms subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. All the instruments were validated for content validity by 5 professional experts Their CVI was 0.97 and 1.0. The Chronbach’s Alpha coefficient reliability of the SF-36 questionnaire and The negative symptoms subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were 0.98 and 0.86, respectively. The t-test was used in data analysis.

Findings: 1) The Health-related quality of life in persons with schizophrenia who received the negative symptoms management program was significantly higher than before, at the .05 level.

2) The Health-related quality of life in persons with schizophrenia who received the negative symptoms management program was significantly higher than those who received usual nursing care, at the .05 level.

Conclusion: The result of this study support that negative symptoms management can improve the Health-related quality of life in persons with schizophrenia.