The Effect of Theater Therapy on the Cognitive Regulation and Quality of Life of People with Schizophrenia

Theater therapy is one of the effective treatment methods in teaching communication skills. Due to the lack of verbal and non-verbal skills, as a result of affecting the quality of life of people with schizophrenia, this study was conducted with the aim of the effect of theater therapy on cognitive regulation and quality of life in these people.

Methods and Materials: 

This study was a clinical trial and pretest-posttest and control group. Samples were randomly selected among patients who referred to Atieh neurology and psychiatry occupational therapy center and were divided into control and experimental groups. Theatrical therapy was performed in groups for 1-hour 8 sessions program. The cognitive excitement regulation questionnaires and quality of life questionnaires were administered to collect the data.

The study included 20 people with schizophrenia, including 6 women and 14 men each person was randomly divided into two groups of treatment and control (10 treatment group including 5 women and 5 men, control group 1 woman and 9 men). The mean age of the participants in the treatment group was 41.80±8.36 and the control group was 45.20±7.78. Data analysis showed that the differences in none of these subscales of quality of life and cognitive regulation questionnaires were significant.

According to the results of this study, the treatment of theater therapy in this group of patients does not have much effect on quality of life and cognitive regulation, but this method can be supplemented to change behavior, reduce depressive symptoms using various methods such as self-presentation, deviated from the role and predicted future, which leads them to talk and play with others, used.