Aged ; Humans ; Inpatients ; psychology ; Loneliness ; Male ; Pneumoconiosis ; psychology

OBJECTIVES: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of sociodrama on inpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The sociodrama group was composed of 20 inpatients with schizophrenia and control group was matched with the sociodrama group. The sociodrama group received 10 sessions of sociodrama therapy over 10 weeks. Assessment was done at the beginning and end of this period. RESULTS: After 10 sessions of sociodrama, the patients showed a significant improvement in the BPRS total score, in the withdrawal-retardation and hostile-suspiciousness subscale scores and on the ToM Scale. There was also a significant improvement on the QoL Scale. There were no significant changes on the RCS or the Empowerment Scale. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that, for inpatients with schizophrenia, sociodrama can make a useful contribution in the improvement of withdrawal-retardation, hostile-suspiciousness, theory of mind, and subjective satisfaction with quality of life. We therefore expect that sociodrama can play a useful role in enhancing the psychosocial functioning of patients with schizophrenia. Future research to generalize of the results of this study is necessary.
Humans ; Inpatients ; Power (Psychology) ; Quality of Life ; Schizophrenia ; Theory of Mind

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and analyze literature on episodes of aggression in psychiatric wards and to determine the coping and preventive strategies employed to deal with aggression of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: We used the key words such as "schizophrenia" and "aggression" to collect literature citations, which were published between July 1997 and November 2011, by searching databases such as the Chinese Journal Full-text Database (CJFD). The literature reports of aggression by patients with schizophrenia were surveyed by computer-assisted searches, scanning of reference lists, and manual search of relevant journals. We analyzed the reports of episodes of aggression in psychiatric wards. RESULTS: Prevalence of aggression in psychiatric wards was reported to range from 9.1% (95% CI: 6.3 to 11.9) to 49.6% (95% CI: 41.1 to 58.1), with most reports in the range of 20% to 40% (mean 28.0%). The aggressive behavior often occurred in special groups and typically bore a close relationship with the patient's personal qualities, social environment, or psychiatric symptoms. The aggressive behaviors can be attributed to a lack of standardized assessments and intervention instruments. CONCLUSION There is a high risk of aggression in Chinese inpatients with schizophrenia, and it is urgent to establish the scientific, standardized, operational systems for assessing and treating the aggression of these patients.
Adult ; Aggression ; psychology ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Inpatients ; psychology ; Male ; Schizophrenia ; epidemiology ; Schizophrenic Psychology ; Violence ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data

OBJECTIVETo investigate the self-esteem level and social adaptation ability of hospitalized burn patients in our burn ward.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty hospitalized burn patients in our burn ward were enrolled in the study and evaluated according to their sex, severity of burn injury and education level. Their self-esteem level and social adaptation ability were scored with the Felling of Inadequacy Scale and Abbreviated Burn Specific Health Scale.

RESULTSThe general score of self-esteem of the patients with mild burns( 183+/-23) was obviously lower than that with moderate and severe burns (167+/-21 and 154 +/-24) , ( P <0.01). The self-esteem level of burn patients was different in different sex and education level. Among the self-esteem scores, male burn patients presented evidently higher scores of self evaluation, social ability, appearance, as well as the general score than those in the female ( P < 0.05). Moreover, the self evaluation score and study ability was higher in those with higher education level than those with lower education. Furthermore, the score of social adaptation ability was higher in the patients with mild burns than that in patients with moderate and severe burns ( P < 0. 01). The social adaptation ability and psychological function were much higher in male patients than those in female patients, but the former were weaker than the latter in regard to the body function. The psychological function, social relationship and general condition of the patients with lower education were better than those with higher education ( P <0. 05 ).

CONCLUSIONThere existed difference in the self-esteem and social adaptation ability in different burn patients during different periods.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Burns ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Inpatients ; psychology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Self Concept ; Social Adjustment

Adolescent ; Adult ; Behavior, Addictive ; psychology ; Humans ; Inpatients ; psychology ; Internet ; Parent-Child Relations ; Parents ; psychology ; Personality ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of hospice care on the life quality and psychological state of aged mortal inpatients. METHODS: Seventy-six aged patients were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=38). The research group was treated with hospice care, while the control group was treated with conventional nursing. Before and after more than one month of the interference, the quality of life, social support, satisfied degree, anxiety, and depression mood were investigated. RESULTS: All the indexes, such as total scale of life quality, appetite, spirit, sleep, family comprehension and coordination, recognition of cancer, attitude to therapy, and facial expression of the mortal inpatients after the interference, were raised and higher than those of the controls (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Life satisfaction index and the total scale of social support and subjective support, utilization ratio of support were raised and higher than those of the controls (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The level of anxiety and depression was decreased and lower than the control (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION Hospice care can raise the life quality, subjective support, utilization ratio of support and life satisfaction of aged mortal inpatients. It could decrease the negative mood, such as anxiety and depression and improve the psychological state.
Aged ; Anxiety ; nursing ; Hospice Care ; psychology ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Neoplasms ; nursing ; psychology ; Personal Satisfaction ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: This study was to investigate a wider range of neurocognitive function tests to find out how accurately each subtest could predict the outcomes of treatment in schizophrenics. METHODS: The subjects were 33 inpatients diagnosed as schizophrenia according to DSM-IV. Each subject had a drug wash-out period of at least 1 week, and had been given K-WAIS, WMS-R, and Signal Detection, Decision Reaction Timer, and Motor Performance Series in Vienna Test System just before drug administration. Treatment response was evaluated with BPRS and CGI scales before and 8 weeks after drug treatment. We divided the subjects into responders and non-responders according to the outcomes of the above clinical scales in week 8. The responder group was defined with having 20% increase in BPRS score and a CGI score of less than 3. Then we compared the neuropsychological test results between the two groups. RESULTS: Significantly different results between responders and non-responders were Verbal IQ and Full Scale IQ in K-WAIS, the number of correct responses in Signal Detection and Decision Reaction Timer in Vienna Test System. In discrimination analysis of the two groups using these subtests as variables, we could predict the responders with 66.7% accuracy, even though statistically non-significant. CONCLUSION: Although discriminating between responders and non-responders using neurocognitive function tests were proven to be statistically non-significant, the possibility that neurocognitive function tests can be utilized to predict the treatment outcome in schizophrenia cannot be completely ruled out.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Schizophrenia* ; Treatment Outcome ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that organized inpatient (stroke unit) care reduces the mortality rate, and the need for institutional care or dependent living after stroke. Based on this evidence, stroke units have becomes popular among large-scale hospitals in developed countries. The aim of this study was to provide perspective regarding the efficacy of stroke units and their current status in developed countries. Methods and RESULTS: An electronic search was conducted using the Cochrane Database, PubMed, and other online databases, in addition to a manual search. The efficacy of stroke-unit care compared to general-ward care was summarized and is presented with respect to death, death or institutional care, and death or dependency by the end of the scheduled follow-up. Current concepts and the status of stroke-unit services among developed countries were reviewed and compared with each other. The desirable models of stroke-unit services are discussed in terms of the stroke center. CONCLUSIONS: Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Korea and there that stroke-unit care is effective at improving the outcome of stroke patients. The expeditious development and realization of organized inpatient care for stroke victims should be a Government priority.
Cause of Death ; Dependency (Psychology) ; Developed Countries ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Stroke

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the psychosocial factors and clinical symptoms related to the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) in 35 consecutive first-episode inpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Data from 35 schizophrenic patients were obtained from two general psychiatric inpatient units at a university medical center. These data included scores from Index of Social Position (ISP), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) as well as socio-demographic informations. RESULTS: Among socio-demographic variables, lower social position (r=.610, p<.001), male sex (r=.407, p=.015), and grew up in rural area (r=.335, p=.045) were significantly correlated with DUP. The interpersonal sensitivity of SCL-90-R was the only symptomatic variable significantly correlated with DUP (r=.379, p=.027). However, after controlling interactive effects of the variables, only lower social position and interpersonal sensitivity remained significant. Lower social position was more influential on DUP than interpersonal sensitivity in the multiple regression model. CONCLUSION: Both social and symptomatic factors independently influenced DUP in schizophrenic patients. Lower social position defined by education and occupation of patients or caretakers may reflect barriers to psychiatric services or poor identification of mental illness. This together with patients' subjective distress in interpersonal interactions may delay the intervention of psychiatric services.
Academic Medical Centers ; Education ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Male ; Occupations ; Psychology ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVE: Research suggests that the contents of delusions in schizophrenia are influenced by culture and social environment. However, few studies have investigated the chronological change of such delusions within a society. To investigate specifically the changes in the persecutory delusions of schizophrenia that have occurred over time, we compared the nature of the persecutors and their persecutory behaviors among inpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: All admissions to the psychiatric unit of Hanyang University Guri Hospital with discharge diagnoses of schizophrenia during two different five-year time frames (1996-2000 and 2006-2010) were reviewed. From their inpatient medical records, we investigated the descriptions of persecutors and their persecutory behaviors in the delusions of 124 patients (54 in the1990s and 72 in the 2000s). RESULTS: Overall, persecutory behaviors and nature of persecutors in the delusions of schizophrenia did not differ between the two time frames. However, subgroup analysis revealed that in women but not in men, rejection as a persecutory behavior was significantly higher in the 1990s (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The ten-year time interval may be too short to find significant changes in delusional content in general. However, our additional finding in women may be a result of the tremendous change in status of Korean women during the last decade.
Delusions ; Ethnopsychology ; Female ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Male ; Medical Records ; Rejection (Psychology) ; Schizophrenia ; Social Environment