Scholars from abroad visited our center in 2014

Scholars from OT of Japan and University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign visited our center

New research findings of MOHO in Taiwan

Title: The Effectiveness of Remotivation Protocol for Persons with Schizophrenia

Author: Sheng-Hui Wang

Thesis Advisor: Ay-Woan Pan

Major findings: The results from this study show that utilization of a remotivation protocol helps to increase the patient's volitional performance, increase motivation to participate in occupational performance, and improves negative symptoms.

Participants:

        *N=10

        *7 males, 3 females

        *Age: 42+ 11.52 (range: 23-56)

        *Diagnosis: Schizophrenia

        *Setting: Inpatient acute ward in a psychiatric institute

        *Ethnicity: Asian (Taiwan)

Methods: The researchers translated the English edition of the remotivation process manual into Mandarin. In order to ensure the Mandarin version of the manual was consistent with the English version, the manuscript was corrected by a senior psychiatric occupational therapist experienced in scale translation. The researchers wrote a remotivation group manual based on the principle of the Chinese version of the manual, and referred to activities and types of activities that clients of schizophrenia participated in prior to the clinical trials. The researchers then invited persons with schizophrenia to engage in this therapeutic intervention. Pre-assessment protocol had subjects filling out self-report scales, including the Occupational Self-Assessment (OSA),Beck Depression Inventory Chinese Version of the second edition (BDI-Ⅱ), the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-50). Psychiatrists then assessed patients using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), followed by an occupational therapist who further assessed patients through the Volitional Questionnaire (VQ) and the work behavior subscale of Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Evaluation Scale (COTES).

Analysis: The data was analyzed by SPSS 20 and Excel. The sign Test and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test (nonparametric) and a Paired-Sample t Test (parametric) were used.

Findings: The pretest and posttest scores of subjects in each scaled score all progressed except BSRS-50. The scores of Volitional Questionnaire were statistically significant in the Sign Test, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and the Paired-Sample t Test. The negative scale, total scores of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were statistically significant in the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and the Paired-Sample t Test. The scores of the own competence of the Occupational Self-Assessment were statistically significant in the Paired-Sample t Test.

Conclusions: In general, patients with schizophrenia display motivation problems, however, a lack of theory driven occupational therapy intervention strategies hinders them from receiving the treatment they need. Through the design of theoretical basis remotivation protocol and a manualized approach, the standardization of occupational therapy intervention to enhance evidence-based mental occupational therapy can be promoted. The results from this study show that utilization of a remotivation protocol benefits patient's volitional performance, motivation to participate in occupational performance, and negative symptoms.

Implications for future research: Larger sample size and apply to various diagnostic groups.

Wang, S.H. (2014). The Effectiveness of Remotivation Protocol for Persons with Schizophrenia. [Master Thesis of the School of Occupational Therapy, National Taiwan University, unpublished].