The Effect of Education during Discharge on Social Skill in Patients with Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most severe chronic mental disorders, which affecting all aspects of the patient's physical, psychological, and behavioral dimensions. This study aimed at the effect of education during discharge on social skills in patients with schizophrenia.

The present study was experimental, and the research community is of the patients at the Comprehensive Psychiatric Center of Yazd Province, Iran. In this study, the patients (two experimental and control groups, n = 32 in each group) with schizophrenia were admitted to the Comprehensive Psychiatric Center of Yazd Province. For the experimental group, in addition to routine programs, the discharge program was performed for 6 hours in the hospital, and a regular schedule was presented for the control group. The social skills were measured with the inventory in both groups before the intervention and one month after discharge. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 16 software.

Results showed that the mean and standard deviation of patients' communication skills score in the experimental group were before and after the intervention were 107.55 ± 17.21and 124.53 ± 18.31. The paired t-test showed a significant difference in improving communication skills in the test group (P = 0.001). Mean and standard deviation of patients' communication skills score in the control group before and after intervention were 105.23 ± 11.14 and 102.22 ± 13.14, respectively. The paired t-test showed a significant difference in decreasing communication skills in the control group (P = 0.001).

Increasing social skills is one of the benefits of intrauterine education that affects many aspects of social skills including verbal and nonverbal skills, communication skills with patients, communication with ward staff, self-reported behavior, and general social behavior And due to the chronic course of schizophrenia, it is essential.