[Resilience Among Patients With Chronic Mental Illnesses Residing in Halfway Houses].

Abstract

Background: Resilience, an increasingly important concept in the field of mental illness, refers to the active process by which individuals with mental illness positively adapt to adversity, facilitating their reintegration into society and return to the community. However, the recent pandemic has significantly impacted rehabilitation facility operations, affecting rehabilitation processes and personnel management. Thus, in the post-pandemic period, there is a need for empirical studies to revalidate the resilience of patients in halfway houses and the factors influencing it.

Purpose: The aims of the study were to explore the resilience and important factors of influence in patients with schizophrenia residing in halfway houses.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed, targeting individuals with schizophrenia residing in community rehabilitation homes in northern Taiwan. A convenience sampling method was used and 228 participants were enrolled. Research tools used in this study included measures of personal demographics, psychiatric symptoms, cognitive functions, attitudes towards medication, social support, and resilience.

Results: The average resilience score was 21.87 (SD = 8.24), with 62.7% of the participants classified with low resilience. Resilience was found to correlate significantly with age group, educational level, ability to self-administer medication, participation in computer-based rehabilitation programs, cognitive functions, attitudes towards medication, and level of social support. However, the factors identified as statistically significant were limited to attitudes toward medication, ability to self-administer medication, and participation in computer-based rehabilitation programs.

Conclusions / implications for practice: A majority of the participants, patients with schizophrenia residing in community rehabilitation homes, exhibited low resilience. This highlights the need for community mental health case managers and rehabilitation home nursing staff to work closely with these patients to enhance their resilience. Particular attention should be paid to patients' ability to self-administer medication, their attitudes toward medication, and their participation in computer-based rehabilitation programs.