The effect of home visits on self-efficacy in patients with schizophrenia: a clinical trial

One of the major problems of chronic patients, including patients with schizophrenia, is difficulty in being able to take care of themselves and impose psychological burden on the family. Home visits can improve patients' self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of home visits on self-efficacy in patients with schizophrenia.

In this double-blind clinical trial, 60 patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. For the intervention group patients, the home visit program was based on a community-based mental health group management method for 2 months (four to six 45-60 minute sessions) and for the control group patients, routine care (pamphlet presentation) was performed. The self-efficacy of patients in both groups was measured by a general self-efficacy questionnaire before the intervention and at the end of the second month (immediately after training). Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 and descriptive statistics (summarized) and independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, paired t-test, Wilcoxon, chi-square and exact chi-square tests.

The mean age of the patients in the intervention group was 34.7  ± 13.8 years and the control group was 33.7 ± 11.3 years (p = 0.29). Independent t-test results showed that the mean score of self-efficacy in the two groups before the intervention was not statistically significant (p = 0.52) but after the intervention, the mean score of self-efficacy in the intervention group was statistically significantly higher than the control group. Is (P <0.001). The results of Wilcoxon test also showed that the mean score of self-efficacy in both intervention and control groups was statistically significant in the post-intervention phase (P <0.001)

The results of this study showed the positive effect of home visiting program on improving self-efficacy in schizophrenic patients. Therefore, it is recommended to use this program in empowering these patients.