Effectiveness of psychiatric occupational therapy in improving the social anxiety of people with schizophrenia

Abstract

This research examined the effectiveness of psychiatric occupational therapy in improving the social anxiety in patients with schizophrenia. A series case study was conducted at the psychiatric rehabilitation center of a university hospital. Data from 3 patients were collected at the baseline, and after 3 and 6 months, indicating an improvement in social anxiety, psychological symptoms, and interpersonal exchange scores. Those symptoms in the patients with moderate social anxiety improved more than the severely impaired patients. This study suggests that occupational therapy intervention may improve not only the symptoms, but also social anxiety in patients with schizophrenia, especially among patients with less severe social anxiety.