Use of the Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform System of Task Analysis for persons with schizophrenia: a preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
Task analysis that targets information processing skills is an essential tool to understanding difficulties encountered by people with schizophrenia in their daily activities. The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore the use of the Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis for this clientele. The specific objectives were to describe information processing difficulties as measured by the PRPP and to examine preliminary evidence of construct validity and interrater reliability.


METHODS
In the first part of this study, 10 participants with schizophrenia living in the community were assessed using the PRPP during both a simple and a complex meal preparation task. Community functioning was measured using the Independent Living Skills Survey. In the second part, interrater reliability was appraised using three trained raters, who scored 15 participants preparing the complex meal preparation task.


RESULTS
Analysis of performance demonstrates that people with schizophrenia have difficulties especially in the Perceive and Plan quadrants of the PRPP and are more challenged in the complex task. The PRPP total score for the complex task is strongly related to the community functioning score. Results indicate good interrater reliability for the PRPP total score and moderate interrater reliability for the quadrant scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the small sample size, results from this preliminary study support the use of the PRPP System of Task Analysis to further explore the impact cognitive deficits have on daily task performance and thus on community functioning in people with schizophrenia.
Aubin
Ginette
G
Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ginette.aubin@mail.mcgill.ca
Chapparo
Christine
C
Gélinas
Isabelle
I
Stip
Emmanuel
E
Rainville
Constant
C
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis