Background
Schizophrenia is a serious neurodevelopmental psychiatric illness characterised by behavioural symptoms that often appear in late adolescence or early adulthood. It has extensive clinical and biological heterogeneity [
1‐
3], with pleiotropic genetic and pathophysiological pathways at work [
4‐
6]. The average lifespan prevalence of schizophrenia is roughly 1%, and only a small percentage of people with schizophrenia, approximately 10–15% are working [
7]. Impairments in basic and advanced functional abilities are common among individuals with schizophrenia, impacting their ability to perform self-care activities [
8]. In addition, the recurrence of symptoms poses a challenge, progressively diminishing patients' ability to independently manage various aspects of their lives [
9]. These patients often exhibit deficits in dominance and autonomy when it comes to activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily life (IADL) [
10].
Schizophrenia continues to exert a significant economic impact, and its prevalence is increasing, placing added strain on global, regional, and national healthcare systems. These findings can offer valuable insights for resource allocation and healthcare planning to address the growing number of schizophrenia patients, particularly in aging populations [
11]. Worldwide burden of Diseases (2016) ranks schizophrenia as the twelfth disability disorder [
12].
Moreover, the failure of individuals with schizophrenia to adhere to basic personal hygiene principles and maintain order can have adverse effects on their social interactions, diminish their societal success prospects, and reduce their independence, employment opportunities, and social engagement [
13,
14]. Consequently, promoting the ability of such patients to perform daily tasks independently becomes a crucial standard of care that necessitates attention to improve their self-care practices [
15].
Despite the challenges faced by chronic schizophrenia patients, they can benefit from self-care interventions, involving behavioral modifications to enhance their health and well-being [
16,
17]. Achieving successful self-care in this population requires more practice compared to other chronic illnesses, owing to the cognitive aspects of rationality and awareness [
18]. The self-care behavior in severe mental illness [
19] is influenced by various factors, including individual personality traits and societal support [
20]. Therefore, effective collaboration between the government and society is essential to help patients regain self-care abilities through tailored interventions [
21].
Research indicates that providing support to individuals with chronic mental illnesses can positively impact their ability to learn self-care and adhere to their prescribed medication [
22‐
25]. Unfortunately, many families fail to recognize the importance of offering social and emotional support to their relatives due to a lack of awareness about the symptoms of psychiatric disorders [
26].
Psychiatric care has been shown to be effective in improving personal hygiene among schizophrenia patients [
27]. However, the impact of training on behavioral changes in patients with chronic conditions tends to be short-term. Therefore, educational interventions must consider patients' psychological needs and adopt supportive communication styles to encourage them to sustain these behavioral improvements [
28]. Individuals with schizophrenia have ability to make decisions regarding self-care is often hindered by psychiatric symptoms and a lack of insight into their condition [
29]. Consequently, self-care in this population remains a significant healthcare challenge [
16].
Group-based psychological therapy has shown to be more effective for improving social functioning and self-care in schizophrenia patients [
30,
31]. The beneficial aspects of intra-group therapy, such as constructive peer support to alleviate feelings of isolation and rejection, contribute to the preference for this treatment approach over cost-effective individual methods [
32]. Psychiatric care has also demonstrated positive effects on aspects like nutrition, clothing, and hygiene in schizophrenia patients [
33].
Despite the prevalence of schizophrenia and the potential benefits of group therapy on self-care abilities, there is currently no Egyptian study that explores this area. Therefore, this study could offer valuable insights to design services and enhance the self-care skills of schizophrenia patients in Egypt. This study's objective was to measure the level of self-care among individuals with schizophrenia. In addition, the study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate the impact of group therapy on self-care skills in this group of patients.
Methods
Participants and procedures
The research design employed in this study was quasi-experimental, involving a pretest–post-test controlled approach. Data collection took place at the inpatient psychiatric department of Assiut University Hospital. The study involved a total of 120 schizophrenic participants who were categorized into two groups, each comprising 60 patients. Group 1 received psychiatric medication alongside group therapy targeting self-care skills (study group), while Group 2 received only psychiatric medication without intervention (control group). Participants with other psychiatric disorders, intellectual disabilities, neurological or medical conditions were excluded. Eligible participants were diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-5 criteria and fell within the age range of 18–60 years and accepted participation in this study.
Sample size
The EPI info statistical programme version 7 was used to calculate sample size. The sample size was established using the specifications of a 0.5 proportion, a 95% degree of confidence, and a 5% margin of error. It was calculated that each group needed 60 individuals based on these parameters [
34].
Measures
All individuals were evaluated using a semi-structured interview designed by psychiatrists from Assiut University's psychiatry department. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th Edition (DSM-5) [
35] was used to diagnose psychiatric disorders, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders—Clinician Version (SCID-5-CV) during the psychiatric interview [
36] was used to confirm the diagnosis and exclude comorbidities.
Socio demographic data included age, residence, educational level, occupation, and family medical history.
Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The PANSS is a 30-item scale used to measure schizophrenia-specific positive, negative, and general psychopathology. Ratings range from 1 (symptom not present) to 7 (symptom extremely severe). The PANSS total score ranges from 30 to 210, while the positive score (items 1–7) and negative score (items 8–14) range from 7 to 49. The PANSS overall psychopathology score (items 15–30) ranges from 16 to 112. In addition, composite rating is calculated by subtraction the negative value from the positive value, yielding a bipolar index ranging from − 42 to + 42, showing the dominant syndrome [
37].
The Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale (ESCAS) was based on Orem's theory of self-care. This scale consists of 43 items assessing self-care skills related to motivation, knowledge, self-worth, and active versus passive responses to situations. It is Likert scale with five points and higher ratings indicate increased autonomy in self-care. Cronbach's alphas were ranged from 0.86 to 0.92 and 0.80 to 0.91, respectively [
38,
39].
The research tools underwent validation by a panel of five experts in the fields of Psychiatric and Mental Health, and necessary modifications were made accordingly.
To evaluate the reliability of the instruments, Cronbach's Alpha was used, resulting in a value of 0.968 for the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and 0.870 for The Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale (ESCAS).
Pilot study
A pilot study was conducted with 12 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, who were not included in the final study. The pilot study intended to investigate 10% of the sample to assure the accuracy and relevance of the research tools, but no modifications have been adopted based on the results of the pilot results.
Procedure
From October 2022 to July 2023, group therapy was designed, implemented, and evaluated the self-care skills in individuals with schizophrenia. To guarantee randomization, the selection procedure was divided into two phases. The sample was first randomly chosen using computer-generated random numbers. To ensure representation from all pertinent groups, a fixed number of patients from each group (n = 60 patients for each group) are chosen at random. The chosen sample was used to create the control group and study group. Patients were allocated to either group at random. For 8 weeks, the study group received psychiatric medication and group psychotherapy, while the control group received medication only.
This study conducted through four sequential phases
The preparatory phase
The program used in this study was developed by researchers following these steps:
1.
Examining the theoretical framework of group therapy.
2.
Examining the theoretical framework of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
3.
Determining the techniques to be included in the program.
4.
Reviewing previous programs prepared by former researchers in the field of group therapy.
5.
Identifying the topics to be covered in the program.
6.
Preparing exercises and activities for each technique and session of the program.
7.
Preparing or selecting the illustrations to be used by the researchers for program implementation.
To acquire theoretical comprehension of the various aspects of the issue, 2 months were spent reviewing historical and contemporary literature related to the study topic. Following an extensive review of the literature, the study tools were designed.
The implementation phase
This phase included the following stages.
Stage 1: Pre-intervention stage (assessment)
After obtaining official permission to conduct the study, the researcher conducted individual interviews with each participant diagnosed with schizophrenia. Each participant provided written consent after being informed of the study's objective. Personal data was collected, and participants were asked to complete the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale (ESCAS) to assess the impact of group therapy on self-care skills. This assessment process lasted approximately 15–20 min.
Stage 2: Intervention stage only for group 1
Group therapy was implemented in ten groups, with each group consisting of six patients. A total of eight sessions were conducted for each study group over a period of 4 weeks. Each session lasted approximately 1 h, with two sessions conducted per week. The group therapy included the following sessions:
-
First session: Providing information about the definition, types, causes, signs, and symptoms of schizophrenia.
-
Second session: Educating patients about different types of antipsychotic medications, their effectiveness, and potential side effects.
-
Third session: Focusing on the impact of mental illness on hygiene and nutrition.
-
Fourth session: Instructing patients on proper skin care, oral hygiene, appropriate clothing selection, and the importance of hygiene for overall well-being.
-
Fifth session: Addressing the definition and causes of insomnia. Sleep is a crucial component for physical and mental health, as it plays a vital role in self-care. Chronic sleep disturbances can significantly reduce an individual's quality of life, limit their ability to practice adequate self-care, and potentially increase mortality rates[
40,
41].
-
Sixth session: Discussing the effects of insomnia and available treatments.
-
Seventh session: Emphasizing the importance of nutrition for individuals with schizophrenia.
-
Eighth session: Providing recommendations for food selection based on specific nutritional needs.
Stage 3: Evaluation of the program
The program's effectiveness was evaluated immediately after the implementation of the group therapy for both the control and study groups.
Statistical analysis
SPSS version 26 (Statistical Package for Social Science) was employed for data entry and analysis. The data was presented in the formats of number, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Our data had normally distributed tested by Shapiro–Wilk test. To compare qualitative variables, the Chi-square test was utilized. Using independent samples t test, quantifiable variables between groups were compared. The paired t test was employed to compare similar groups. While risk factors were identified using multivariate linear regression, associated factors for self-care were evaluated using Pearson correlation. The P value is regarded as statistically significant when P 0.05.
Discussion
Schizophrenia had wide range of symptoms with various risk factors [
3,
42,
43]. In individuals with schizophrenia, self-care performance often shows a significant decline in functional abilities related to basic and advanced care needs [
8,
44].This may lead to a lack of dominance and independence in daily living tasks, adversely affecting their overall quality of life [
10,
45]. The aim of this study was to assess self-care in individuals with schizophrenia and evaluate the effectiveness of group therapy in enhancing their self-care abilities.
In this study, participants with schizophrenia who underwent the group therapy exhibited a reduction of more than half in positive, negative, and general psychopathology symptoms. In contrast, the control group showed only a slight decrease in symptoms. These findings align with a study by Abd El-Fatah and colleagues (2015), where significant improvement in PANSS scores was observed in schizophrenia patients who received both group therapy and standard treatment compared to the control group receiving only standard treatment [
46]. This finding could be explained by the positive impact of self-care training in group therapy, which may have enhanced cognition and reduced negative symptoms of schizophrenia in the participants [
47]. Enhanced cognition, resulting from the self-care training in group therapy, may have indirectly influenced positive symptoms by improving overall functioning and coping abilities in the participants with schizophrenia. Consequently, the improved cognition and coping skills could have contributed to the reduction in general psychopathology, which encompasses a broader range of symptoms beyond just positive and negative features.
However, another study by Kashani Lotfabadi and colleagues (2022) reported minor improvements in schizophrenia patients with and without the program, without a significant difference between the groups [
33]
. This finding could be attributed to the patients' negative attitudes and lack of collaboration, which hindered their participation in the group activities designed to teach self-care practices. While patients with schizophrenia may experience minor improvements with or without the program, there may not be a significant difference between the two groups due to the challenges in engaging them fully in the self-care training activities. In the current study, individuals with schizophrenia showed more than double the increase in self-care compared to the control group, and this finding is consistent with previous research report, indicating that group therapy can indeed promote self-care behaviors in schizophrenia patients [
33]. Furthermore, this finding aligns with Taş's (2017) study, which demonstrated that self-care training can effectively promote self-care habits in individuals with schizophrenia. This could be explained by the fact that group therapy introduces schizophrenia patients to self-care practices, potentially for the first time. Previous research suggests that educational interventions may improve the self-care knowledge and abilities of people with schizophrenia, enabling them to attend to their physical needs and properly care for their dental hygiene through brushing and toothpaste use [
47]. Other studies have revealed that group therapy, rather than teaching alone, may help hemodialysis patients improve their self-care behaviors over time [
48]. In addition, these studies have shown that group therapy helped enhance nulliparous outcomes [
49] and self-care behaviors in women with diabetes by emphasizing self-care [
50].
On the other hand, Kim Y-s and colleagues (2020) observed that psychiatric care may not effectively assist these patients in developing executive skills in the real world and sustaining their daily life responsibilities [
51]. This might be explained by the possibility that participants with varying backgrounds, ages, and levels of education view issues and formulate ideas in ways that could help to explain the disparity.
The study further explored the factors associated with improved self-care in schizophrenia patients. Correlation analysis revealed that improved self-care was negatively correlated with positive, negative, and overall psychopathological symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia. This finding could be explained by the diverse range of cognitive, negative, and positive symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Negative symptoms and cognitive deficits are the primary factors influencing a patient's functional capacity while living with schizophrenia. While cognitive impairments typically indicate challenges in daily life and employment, negative symptoms often predict the severity of social deficiencies (interpersonal relationships). The basic activities of daily living involve managing one's physical needs and self-care. These activities are more resilient to cognitive decline compared to instrumental activities of daily living. However, cognitive ability does impact one's capacity to perform both instrumental and basic activities of daily living, as it involves reasoning and planning [
47].The multivariate regression model confirmed that participation in the program was the only factor significantly associated with enhanced self-care.
The positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia are fundamental components of the disorder. Positive symptoms are easier to identify and can be described as "psychotic behaviors not observed in healthy individuals" (Delusions, hallucinations, abnormal motor behavior, etc.) [
52]. On the other hand, negative symptoms are characterised by a reduction in normal functioning, either linked to interest and motivation (avolition, anhedonia, and a sociality) or expression capabilities (blunted affect and alogia), and are referred to as deficit syndrome [
53]. The severity of symptoms in schizophrenia and delay of diagnosis and treatment in psychiatric illness [
19] has consistently been associated with poorer functional outcomes in various areas, including impaired occupational and academic performance, difficulties in social functioning, decreased participation in activities, and reduced quality of life [
54,
55]. To improve treatment outcomes for schizophrenia patients, a comprehensive management strategy should incorporate self-care. Therefore, medical and nursing teams responsible for treating schizophrenia patients should acquire knowledge about self-care, self-care activities, self-care agencies, and how to provide assistance when self-care is insufficient. This information empowers individuals to engage in self-care practices during educational sessions, post-education periods, and in-service training. Moreover, it is crucial as these intervention plans are non-invasive, non-pharmacological, affordable, and cost-effective that help in improving patients.
Furthermore, institutionalized schizophrenia patients would benefit greatly from specialized group therapy. Data regarding these treatments can serve as valuable insights for shaping policy, guiding health planning efforts, evaluating outcomes, and informing health education initiatives.
This study had some limitations. First, cognitive function was not assessed [
24]. Self-care and cognitive function should be linked. Second, long-term follow-up is needed to assess intervention program's impact on self-care. The last limitation is the lack of a single-blind method. Implementing such a method, where the rater is blinded to which patients received group therapy, would have enhanced the validity of our findings.
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