Regular Article: Efficacy of 3-year psychiatric daycare treatment in patients with schizophrenia

The present study investigated the efficacy of a 3-year psychiatric daycare (DC) program with regard to psychiatric symptoms and difficulties with daily living experienced by patients with schizophrenia. The subjects were 28 patients who met the diagnostic criteria from the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for schizophrenia and continued DC treatment for 3 years. The present study assessed participants at two points: at the start of DC and after 3 years, by evaluating socioeconomic factors and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores. In addition, in order to measure difficulties with daily living, the Life Assessment Scale for the Mentally Ill (LASMI) and the Etoh Daycare Assessment Scale (ETODAS) developed at the Etoh Hospital, were used. Results indicated that no significant changes in socioeconomic factors or BPRS scores occurred during the 3-year period of DC treatment. However, over this period, mean scores ( plus or minus standard deviation [SD]) for LASMI subcategories decreased from 1.6 plus or minus 0.8 points to 0.9 plus or minus 0.7 for daily living and from 1.7 plus or minus 0.8 to 1.2 plus or minus 0.7 for interpersonal relations, indicating significant improvement (P < 0.05). In addition, mean scores ( plus or minus SD) for the ETODAS subcategories increased from 3.4 plus or minus 0.8 to 4.1 plus or minus 0.8 for expressiveness, from 3.3 plus or minus 0.9 to 4.0 plus or minus 0.8 for communication, from 3.1 plus or minus 0.6 to 3.6 plus or minus 1.0 for initiative within a group, and from 3.4 plus or minus 0.5 to 3.8 plus or minus 0.7 for cooperation in work activities, indicating significant improvement (P < 0.05). The present study suggests that DC can enable patients with schizophrenia to maintain their condition without worsening the psychiatric symptoms, and to improve their daily living skills, social skills in human relations, and work skills.