Evaluating the effectiveness of continuous care model on quality of life in discharged schizophrenic patients from Sina educational and medical center, Hamedan, 2007

Nowadays, quality of life is an important aspect in caring of schizophrenic patients. A continuous and regulated model of follow up care such as the nursing ones, considering the chronicity of the disease and unsuccessfulness of the existing plans, is necessary to improve the quality of life in these patients.

This is a qusi-experimental study, determining the effect of applying the continuous care model on the quality of life in discharged schizophrenic patients. 36 patients have been selected based on inclusion criteria, and divided randomly into control and interventional groups of research. The data gathered from demographic, Heinrich Quality of Life (QLS: α=0.81) questionnaires and control check list (α=0.92). Test-retest, alfa chronbach and content validity methods were used to check the validity and reliability. The orientation and sensitivisation phases of the model applied on the interventional group in the hospital (6 sessions of education, twice a week for three weeks) and the control and evaluation phases carried out at their homes (6 visits, once every other week for three months).

Independent and paired T tests and ANOVA used to analyze data in this study. The findings showed that there was no significant difference between the control and interventional groups in the whole quality of life and its dimensions (p>0.05) but a significant difference in the interpersonal relationship of the interventional group (p=0.003) after applying the care model and no significant difference in the whole quality of life and its other dimensions despite their raised scores (p>0.05).

This study results showed that applying the continuous care model will positively affect the interpersonal relationship and if prolonged, we can expect the effectiveness on the whole quality of life and its other dimensions. In fact this research and similar studies stated the necessity of nursing services for chronic psychiatric patients after discharge. So the useful outcomes can decrease the hospitalization and relapse rates beside the patients’ quality of lives.