METHODS
Study population and treatment regimens
This prospective, randomized controlled trial study
was conducted in a long-term psychiatric hospital,
Shahrekord, Iran. The study population was 76 inpatients
with chronic schizophrenia of which 60 participants
were identified according to the diagnosis based
on their medical records and through a structured clinical
interview.
Sixteen patients had functional disability so were
excluded from the study. Data was collected on all
patients who were admitted between January 2006 and
January 2007. There was no dropout from the study.
After ethical approval from the Shahrekord Medical
University of Sciences Research Ethics Committee, the
researcher informed close relatives of the eligible subjects
of this study and written consent was obtained
from them. Data were obtained anonymously. Patients
were allocated randomly to intervention and usual treatment
groups. Inclusion criteria were adults with a diagnosis
of schizophrenia for any duration, and patients
with physical, sensorial, or neurological disabilities, or
substance abuse were excluded.