PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a relapse prevention program (RPP) and examine the effects of the RPP on insight, empowerment, and treatment adherence in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were 54 inpatients who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia (experimental group: 26, control group: 28). The study was carried out from February 7, 2012 to February 6, 2013. Over a 10-day period prior to discharge each participant in the experimental group received three one-hour sessions of RPP a one-to-one patient-nurse interaction. Data were collected using Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), Empowerment Scale, and Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire (ITAQ) and analyzed using PASW 18.0 with chi-square test, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and ANCOVA. RESULTS: The experimental group had a significant increase in insight and treatment adherence compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in empowerment between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that the RPP for patients with schizophrenia was effective in improving insight and treatment adherence. A longitudinal study is needed to confirm the persistence of these effects of RPP in patients with schizophrenia.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Longitudinal Studies ; Mental Disorders ; Power (Psychology)* ; Recurrence* ; Schizophrenia* ; Secondary Prevention*

Several epidemiological studies have shown that exercise (EX) and physical activity (PA) can prevent or delay the onset of different mental disorders, and have therapeutic benefits when used as sole or adjunct treatment in mental disorders. This review summarizes studies that used EX interventions in patients with anxiety, affective, eating, and substance use disorders, as well as schizophrenia and dementia/mild cognitive impairment. Despite several decades of clinical evidence with EX interventions, controlled studies are sparse in most disorder groups. Preliminary evidence suggests that PA/EX can induce improvements in physical, subjective and disorder-specific clinical outcomes. Potential mechanisms of action are discussed, as well as implications for psychiatric research and practice.
Anxiety Disorders/prevention & control/therapy ; Databases, Factual ; Dementia/prevention & control/therapy ; Eating Disorders/prevention & control/therapy ; *Exercise ; Humans ; Mental Disorders/prevention & control/*therapy ; Mood Disorders/prevention & control/therapy ; Motor Activity ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/prevention & control/therapy ; Schizophrenia/prevention & control/therapy ; Substance-Related Disorders/prevention & control/therapy

OBJECTIVES: Relapse prevention is a major therapeutic goal in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, many patients experience multiple functional impairments and treatment resistance due to recurrence. This study was designed to investigate the follow-up of patients with using antipsychotic drugs and to compare the total treatment failure rate, withdrawal reasons, and duration period of antipsychotic drugs. METHODS: The subjects were 1963 patients who taking antipsychotic drugs under the diagnosis of schizophrenia. We selected 1836 patients using 10 antipsychotic drugs according to frequency of using. The rate of total treatment failure of them was divided into 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year according to the time of drug withdrawal. We compared the total treatment failure rate at 1 and 3-year between 10 antipsychotic drugs. RESULTS: The total treatment failure rate of clozapine was lowest compared with the other 9 antipsychotic drugs in all the surveyed periods. When evaluating actual number of subjects, olanzapine, sulpiride, risperidone, aripiprazole, amisulpride, and haloperidol were lower significantly compared with ziprasidone at 1-year in the total treatment failure rate, but there was no significant difference between them except clozapine at 3-year. The results of the analysis based on the number of prescriptions showed that the total treatment failure rate of the atypical antipsychotic drug was lower than that of the typical antipsychotic drug at 1-year, but the difference was decreased over time except quetiapine and ziprasidone. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, although there is some controversy about which drug to prescribe to the patient, the clinician needs a proper prescription considering various factors such as efficacy, side effects, price, and formulations of each drug.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Aripiprazole ; Clozapine ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Prescriptions ; Quetiapine Fumarate ; Recurrence ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia ; Secondary Prevention ; Sulpiride ; Treatment Failure

OBJECTIVES: Relapse prevention is a major therapeutic goal in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, many patients experience multiple functional impairments and treatment resistance due to recurrence. This study was designed to investigate the follow-up of patients with using antipsychotic drugs and to compare the total treatment failure rate, withdrawal reasons, and duration period of antipsychotic drugs. METHODS: The subjects were 1963 patients who taking antipsychotic drugs under the diagnosis of schizophrenia. We selected 1836 patients using 10 antipsychotic drugs according to frequency of using. The rate of total treatment failure of them was divided into 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year according to the time of drug withdrawal. We compared the total treatment failure rate at 1 and 3-year between 10 antipsychotic drugs. RESULTS: The total treatment failure rate of clozapine was lowest compared with the other 9 antipsychotic drugs in all the surveyed periods. When evaluating actual number of subjects, olanzapine, sulpiride, risperidone, aripiprazole, amisulpride, and haloperidol were lower significantly compared with ziprasidone at 1-year in the total treatment failure rate, but there was no significant difference between them except clozapine at 3-year. The results of the analysis based on the number of prescriptions showed that the total treatment failure rate of the atypical antipsychotic drug was lower than that of the typical antipsychotic drug at 1-year, but the difference was decreased over time except quetiapine and ziprasidone. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, although there is some controversy about which drug to prescribe to the patient, the clinician needs a proper prescription considering various factors such as efficacy, side effects, price, and formulations of each drug.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Aripiprazole ; Clozapine ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Prescriptions ; Quetiapine Fumarate ; Recurrence ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia ; Secondary Prevention ; Sulpiride ; Treatment Failure

PURPOSE: The present study aims to verify the effectiveness of the reality therapy for patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: It is designed as a quasi-experimental study by which a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest is conducted. The test was conducted with 30 patients with schizophrenia who were hospitalized at a mental hospital in South Korea. Fifteen of the patients participated in the reality therapy program while another 15 in the control group. The effects are measured by marking scores in the areas of the locus of control, selfesteem, and problem-focused stress coping of each participant. RESULTS: The general characteristics and dependent variables related to outcome variables were controlled to be equal between the two groups. It turns out that the internal locus of control, self-esteem, and problemfocused stress coping are statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Findings show that the reality therapy caused positive changes in terms of the internal locus of control, self-esteem, and problem-focused stress coping of the observed schizophrenic patients.
Stress, Psychological/prevention & control ; Self Concept ; Schizophrenic Psychology ; Schizophrenia/*therapy ; Reality Therapy/*methods ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Korea ; Internal-External Control ; Humans ; Female ; Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of listening to music in inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia, on their auditory hallucinations, and positive and negative symptoms. METHODS: A quasi-experimental research design with 2x2 cross-over trial and convenience sample was used. Eleven patients (Group AB) listened to music followed by a wash out period and then a usual care period, and 12 patients (Group BA) had a usual care period followed by a wash out period and then listened to music. For one week those who were in the experimental period listened to individualized music using an MP3 player whenever they heard hallucinations. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of auditory hallucinations after listening to the music. There was a decrease in the mean scores for positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and general psychopathology after listening to music, but only negative symptoms showed a statistically significant decrease. The treatment effects on scores for positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and general psychopathology were greater in Group BA than Group AB. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that listening to music may be useful for managing auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia inpatients.
Adult ; Female ; Hallucinations/*prevention & control ; Humans ; MP3-Player ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Music ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia/*therapy ; *Schizophrenic Psychology ; Self Care/methods/psychology

OBJECTIVES: Pharmacological treatment is critical on relapse prevention in patients with schizophrenia. However, atypical antipsychotic agents are known to cause weight gain more than typical agents despite their various effects. In addition, they are known to affect blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, cardiac function, and sexual function. This study was designed to examine the effects on metabolic parameters when schizophrenic patients have been taken atypical antipsychotic agents. METHODS: This was a trial in 137 patients with DSM-IV-TR schizophrenia who were admitted or treated in mental hospital. Anthropometric measurement and blood testing were conducted at baseline, 12 month, 36 month, and sociodemographic and treatment history were collected from medical records. We conducted height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, FBS, total cholesterol, HDL, triglyceride, and QTc interval. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed by ATPIIIa criteria. RESULTS: Aripiprazole showed the significant difference in the impact on weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, total cholesterol, HDL, triglyceride than paliperidone and olanzapine at 1-year and 3-year period. Olanzapine showed the significant increase of weight and triglyceride than paliperidone at 3-year period. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased in paliperidone at 1-year and in olanzapine at 3-year period compared to aripiprazole significantly. CONCLUSION: We concluded that aripiprazole has less impact on the abdominal obesity, FBS, blood pressure, and cholesterol than paliperidone and olanzapine. Olanzapine showed the increase of long-term metabolic risk than other agents. There was needed the routine screening and multidisciplinary management of medical problems in schizophrenic patients for the prevention of metabolic syndrome.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Aripiprazole ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hematologic Tests ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Paliperidone Palmitate ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies* ; Schizophrenia ; Secondary Prevention ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference ; Weight Gain

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the effects of a network program to prevent obesity and improve dietary habits for patients taking antipsychotics or antidepressants. METHOD: Thirty-seven patients in two hospitals were assigned to a control group (21 patients) or an intervention group (16 patients). The intervention group was evaluated to analyze the effect of the network program for six weeks after the program. RESULT: There was a difference in the rate of increased body weight between the control group and the intervention group. Notably, the body weight of both groups before the intervention was significantly increased. However, after the intervention the body weight of the intervention group rarely increased, whereas, the body weight of the control group was significantly increased as expected. There was an observed difference in diet between the control group and the intervention group. After the intervention, caloric intake per day of the intervention group decreased. Also, the duration of the meal of the intervention group after the intervention was longer than before. CONCLUSION: The network program for preventing obesity and improving dietary habits of patients taking antipsychotics or antidepressants was effective. The study shows that a network program can be an important part of a nursing intervention in clinical practice.
Weight Gain/drug effects ; Schizophrenia/drug therapy ; Obesity/chemically induced/*prevention & control ; Mood Disorders/drug therapy ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Energy Intake ; Diet, Reducing ; Antipsychotic Agents/*adverse effects ; Antidepressive Agents/*adverse effects ; Adult ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVETo study on effects of injection of Huangqi Injectio into Zusanli (ST 36) on the hospital infection and immune function in the patient of schizophrenia.

METHODSThirty inpatients of chronic schizophrenia were treated with injection of Huangqi Injectio into bilateral Zusanli (ST 36), 2 mL each point, thrice each week, for 8 weeks. Relative immune indexes and the hospital infection were investigated.

RESULTSThe hospital infection and the sub-infection were 4 cases (13.3%), 7 cases-times (23.3%) in the injection group; and 9 cases (15.0%), 19 cases-times (31.7%) in the control group, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The drug-administration duration was 7.77 days/case and 11.87 days/case in the two groups, respectively (P<0.01). In the injection group, as compared with that of last 3 years the duration was 7.77 days/case and 14.08 days/case (P<0.01). IgG, IgA, IgM and T-cell subgroups did not have significant changes, but there was the most different value before and after injection in SIL-2R of the no-infection group, and the longer the drug administration duration, the smaller the different values.

CONCLUSIONInjection of Huangqi Injectio into Zusanli (ST 36) has definite effect for prevention of the hospital infection in inpatients of chronic schizophrenia, and SIL-2R is a valuable index for investigation of the hospital of infection.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Astragalus Plant ; Cross Infection ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Schizophrenia ; immunology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology