Effects of a relapse prevention program on insight, empowerment and treatment adherence in patients with schizophrenia

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a relapse prevention program (RPP) and examine the effects of the RPP on insight, empowerment, and treatment adherence in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were 54 inpatients who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia (experimental group: 26, control group: 28). The study was carried out from February 7, 2012 to February 6, 2013. Over a 10-day period prior to discharge each participant in the experimental group received three onehour sessions of RPP a one-to-one patient-nurse interaction. Data were collected using Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), Empowerment Scale, and Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire (ITAQ) and analyzed using PASW 18.0 with chi-square test, independent ttest, Mann-Whitney U test, and ANCOVA. Results: The experimental group had a significant increase in insight and treatment adherence compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in empowerment between the two groups. Conclusion: Findings indicate that the RPP for patients with schizophrenia was effective in improving insight and treatment adherence. A longitudinal study is needed to confirm the persistence of these effects of RPP in patients with schizophrenia.