The effectiveness of medical education in schizophrenia depending on the mental state and type of treatment in forensic psychiatric patients.

Abstract

Objectives: The main objective of the study was to answer the question of whether the clinical condition of the patient and the type of antipsychotic drug used affect the educational opportunities of patients hospitalised in forensic psychiatry departments participating in a health education programme.

Methods: The study was conducted at the State Hospital for the Mentally and Neurologically Ill in Rybnik in the forensic psychiatry wards and lasted from December 2019 to May 2020. During the study, patients gained knowledge of health education. The study group consisted of 67 men aged 22-73 with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The control group consisted of 40 patients aged 23-72 with the same diagnosis who were not educated. A dual measurement method was used (before and after the health education cycle) using the CGI-S scale and a proprietary questionnaire of patients' knowledge from the applied educational programme.

Results: The study showed that the severity of mental illness symptoms had a significant impact on patients' educational opportunities. The variety of antipsychotic medications used (atypical and classic) did not affect patients' educational opportunities. In addition, the study showed that the educational level of the patients had a significant impact on their educational opportunities.

Conclusions: The effectiveness of educational interventions depends on the severity of symptoms in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, but does not depend on the type of pharmacotherapy used.