Journal of International Psychiatry

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effect of vocational skills training on negative symptoms and cognitive function of patients with schizophrenia in rehabilitative period. Methods: A total of 86 cases of patients with schizophrenia in rehabilitative period were divided into observation group and control group using random number table method, with 43 cases in each group. Patients in control group were performed routine drug treatment and nursing, and based on this, patients in observation group were performed vocational skills training. After follow-up visit of 12 weeks, the positive and negative symptoms scale (PANSS), Wechsler adult intelligence scale (WAIS-RC), Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) and other indicators of patients in the two groups were compared. Results: 40 cases in each of the two groups completed the follow-up visit. The scores of negative symptoms scale, general pathological symptoms and PANSS in observation group were significantly lower than in control group (P<0.05); the number of WAIS-RC digit symbols, digit span, vision depth, number of WCST completed categories, number of correct responses, percentage of conceptual level and sustained responses were significantly larger than those in control group, the persistent error number was significantly lower than in control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Vocational skills training can help to relieve the negative symptoms of patients with schizophrenia in rehabilitation period and improve their cognitive function.

Key words: Schizophrenia; rehabilitation period; vocational skills training; negative symptoms; cognitive function