ABSTRACT
Introduction: Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disorder with pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment. The present study aimed to determine the effect of agriculture activity on quality of life in chronic schizophrenic patients
Method: This survey was a quasi- experimental study in which 52 eligible patients with chronic schizophrenia were assigned randomly in intervention and control groups [n=26]. The study was conducted in Sina psychiatry Hospital. The intervention period was three months. The patients in control group received routine treatment. The patients in intervention group were participated in agricultural activity in addition to routine treatment. The demographic questionnaire and schizophrenia quality of life scale were completed at the beginning and the end of the study. The research data were analyzed by descriptive statistical indexes including mean, standard deviation and inferential statistical methods like Student t-test and Chi square
Results: The study groups were homogeneous in demographic variables and quality of life scores at the baseline. At the end of study, the agriculture activity group showed significant improvement by mean of quality of life [P<0.001], but there was no significant change in control group [P>0.05]
Conclusion: Regarding to the impact of agricultural activity on improving quality of life in patients with schizophrenia, it seems that this treatment method can be used as part of routine treatment for this patients
ABSTRACT
Despite the availability of antipsychotic drugs, a large number of patients with schizophrenia do not show a good response to monotherapy with these drugs. In this study we evaluated the effect of purslane on psychologic symptoms and malondialdehyde [MDA] level in schizophrenic patients in Sina Hospital. This randomized clinical trial study was carried out on 60 chronic schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone in Sina Hospital in Joneghan, Iran between 2011 and 2012. Patients were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The control group received risperidone 6mg/day and biperiden 4mg/day for 8 weeks. The Patients in the intervention group received 1g extract of purslane daily in addition to risperidone and biperiden for 8 weeks. The scales for assessment of positive symptoms [SAPS], assessment of negative symptoms [SANS] and MDA level were recorded at the baseline and at the end of the 8[th] week of study. Data analysis was performed by using mean, SD, student t-test and paired t- test. At the end of the study, the respective mean scores of positive symptoms were 47.93 +/- 18.56 in the intervention and 57.1 +/- 14.83 in the control group [P<0.05], and the mean scores of negative symptoms were 40.83 +/- 11.03 in the intervention and 46.13 +/- 9.34 in the control group [P<0.05].In addition, the MDA levels of the patients in the intervention and control groups were 3.25 +/- 1.25 and 5.43 +/- 1.76 respectively [P<0.05]. According to findings of this study, simultaneous use of purslane and respridone can lead to improvement of psychological condition and decreased MDA level in the patients with chronic schizophrenia