The Effect of the Vocational Rehabilitation Program on the Quality of Life of the Chronic Schizophrenics

Hwang, Tae Yeon; Kim, Joo Hyeon; Han, Eun Seun; Rhee, Choong Soon

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the vocational rehabilitation program on the quality of life of the chronic schizophrenics, and to evaluate how chronic schizophrenics felt about their lives. METHOD: The subjects were 39 chronic schizophrenics who had participated in the vocational rehabilitation program(participant group) and now lived in the community. The control group were 43 chronic schizophrenics who were outpatients without vocational rehabilitation(non-participant group). The scale for quality of life was divided into two subscales, i.e., the objective and the subjective areas. The subscales are composed of living situation, family situations, interpersonal relations, work, health, finances, leisure activities, autonomy, and self-esteem.
RESULTS
1) In the demographic characteristics such as age, sex, duration of illness, and duration of education, two groups were not different significantly. However, dosage of antipsychotics were lower in participant group than non-participant group. 2) In the objective quality of life subscale, the scores of living situation, interpersonal relations, work, health, economic state, and leisures were higher in participant group than non-participant group. But, family relations score were lower in participant group than in non-participant group. autonomy were not different between two groups. 3) In the subjective quality of life subscale, the score of living situation, family relations, interpersonal relations, work, health, economic states, leisure activities, and autonomy were all higher in participant group than in non-partcipant group. 4)Self-esteem was significantly higher in participant group than in non-participant group.
CONCLUSION
The results from this study suggest that the objective and subjective quality of life of participant group in the vocational rehabilitation program were higher than those of non-participant group. The vocational rehabilitation program of Yong-In Mental Hospital seems to have been effective for the chronic schizophrenics. And the psychosocial rehabilitation program, vocational rehabilitation program, and family education program should be developed more and implemented in the community.