Psicoeducación en esquizofrenia

New Path to Recovery and Well-Being: Cross-Sectional Study on WeChat Use and Endorsement of WeChat-Based mHealth Among People Living With Schizophrenia in China

Background

The past few decades have seen an exponential increase in using mobile phones to support medical care (mobile health [mHealth]) among people living with psychosis worldwide, yet little is known about WeChat use and WeChat-based mHealth among people living with schizophrenia (PLS) in China.

Objective

This study aims to assess WeChat use, endorsement of WeChat-based mHealth programs, and health related to WeChat use among PLS.

Methods

We recruited a random sample of 400 PLS from 12 communities in Changsha City of Hunan Province, China. WeChat use was assessed using the adapted WeChat Use Intensity Questionnaire (WUIQ). We also compared psychiatric symptoms, functioning, disability, recovery, quality of life, and general well-being between WeChat users and nonusers using one-to-one propensity-score matching.

Results

The WeChat use rate was 40.8% in this sample (163/400); 30.7% (50/163) had more than 50 WeChat friends and nearly half (81/163, 49.7%) spent more than half an hour on WeChat, a pattern similar to college students and the elderly. PLS also showed higher emotional connectedness to WeChat use than college students. About 80.4% (131/163) of PLS were willing to participate in a WeChat-based mHealth program, including psychoeducation (91/163, 55.8%), professional support (82/163, 50.3%), and peer support (67/163, 41.1%). Compared with nonusers, WeChat users were younger, better educated, and more likely to be employed. WeChat use was associated with improved health outcomes, including lower psychiatric symptoms, lower depression, higher functioning, better recovery, and higher quality of life.

Conclusions

WeChat-based mHealth programs hold promise as an empowering tool to provide cost-effective interventions, to foster global recovery, and to improve both physical and mental well-being among PLS. WeChat and WeChat-based mHealth programs have the potential to offer a new path to recovery and well-being for PLS in China.

The effect of mindfulness-based psychoeducation on insight and medication adherence of schizophrenia patients

PURPOSE

This research was conducted to determine the effect of mindfulness based psychoeducation program on insight and medication adherence of schizophrenia patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted in a true experiment design with pre-test and post-test control groups. The study population consisted of 369 schizophrenic patients enrolled in Community Mental Health Centers located in Balıkesir and Eskişehir province centers. The sample consisted of 135 patients, 55 from experimental and 80 from control groups selected by randomized sampling. The data was collected between February and May 2016. The Descriptive Information Form, Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS) were used. In the experimental group, the psychoeducation program was applied. Number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square, t-test in both dependent and independent groups, were used in the analysis of the data.

RESULTS

The mean post-test score of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale was 4.89 ± 6.05 in the experimental group, 1.68 ± 5.67 in the control group and the difference between the mean scores was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The mean post-test score of Medication Adherence Ratıng Scale was 1.76 ± 0.42 in the experimental group, 1.50 ± 0.50 in the control group and the difference between the mean scores was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

It was determined that psychoeducation program was effective in increasing cognitive insight level and medication adherence of patients and can be used by nurses in addition to medication.