title: Combined intervention with education and progressive muscle relaxation on quality of life, functional disability, and positive symptoms in patients with acute schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of combined intervention with education and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on quality of life (QoL), functional disability, and positive symptoms of patients with acute schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized controlled study took place in an acute schizophrenia ward in Changsha, China. Sixty-four patients with acute schizophrenia were randomly assigned to four groups: control, education, PMR, and education plus PMR. QoL was assessed with the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form. Functional disability was assessed with the Sheehan Disability Scale. Severity of positive schizophrenia symptoms was assessed with the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms. All patients were evaluated at baseline (within 72 hours before the interventions) and at the end of weeks 5 (when the interventions ended) and week 15 (a 10-week follow-up after the interventions).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of all four study groups were similar at baseline. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed significant differences among the interventions in improving QoL, functional disability, and positive symptoms over time in the patients. Education and PMR alone resulted in sustained improvement of QoL during the intervention period and a 10-week follow-up but had no significant effects on functional disability or positive schizophrenia symptoms. In contrast, combined intervention with education and PMR showed better effects on improving QoL than did education or PMR alone throughout the 15-week study. It also statistically significantly improved functional disability and positive schizophrenia symptoms during the intervention period and led to sustained improvement of functional disability during the 10-week follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A combined intervention with education and PMR is effective in improving QoL, functional disability, and positive symptoms in patients with acute schizophrenia. The combined intervention model could be a new paradigm of adjunctive treatment for acute schizophrenia.
authors: 1 Department of Health Management, Bengbu Medical College , Bengbu, People's Republic of China .
authors: Fu-Zhi
authors: FZ
authors: Wang
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Luo
authors: We
authors: W
authors: Kanb
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012064:Relaxation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult