title: Quality of experience during psychosocial rehabilitation: a real-time investigation with experience sampling method.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to identify contextual and clinical factors contributing to the quality of experience of people participating in psychosocial rehabilitation activities (RA) and to investigate the association of RA with optimal experience or flow, a state characterized by the perception of high challenges and high skills, deep concentration, positive affect, clear goals, control and autonomous motivation, which contributes to individuals' well-being.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven people at an Italian psychiatric rehabilitation center provided real-time information on daily activities and associated experience through experience sampling method. Multilevel models were calculated to assess the factors contributing to participants' quality of experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses showed that situation-contingent factors-type of activity and relationship between perceived challenges and skills-predicted participants' quality of experience over and above the clinical factors taken into account in this study: level of global functioning (GAF), rehabilitation duration, and type of setting (residential vs. semi-residential). In addition, RA were prominently associated with optimal experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest the importance for people involved in rehabilitation programs to engage in challenging tasks, favoring both the onset of positive and complex experiences and skill development. Findings further show the usefulness of real-time assessment methods in monitoring the rehabilitation process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Luigi Sacco, Universita degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy. marta.bassi@unimi.it
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delle Fave
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Viganò
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards