Journal of Psychiatry

Problem solving ability and working memory capacity of patients with Schizophrenia: The effect of problem- solving training intervention

25^th World Summit on Psychology, Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

October 19-20, 2017 | San Francisco, USA

Rasha Salah Elsayed Eweida

Alexandria University, Egypt

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

Effective interpersonal problem-solving skills have been identified as an essential aspect for successful functioning in everyday life. Patients with schizophrenia are often handicapped to address themselves to real-life interpersonal problem situations as well as to provide effective problem-solving responses in reaching specified goals in such situations. Moreover, they have compromised working memory that hinders their abilities to maintain in consciousness storage of information needed to execute tasks of daily life such as interpersonal functioning. The inability to navigate the social environment effectively is a major factor in the poor quality of life experienced by most patients with schizophrenia and is a significant source of stress that contributes to relapse. So, patients with schizophrenia need to develop interpersonal problem-solving skills to be more efficient in solving problems and challenges that arise in their social context. The present study aimed at exploring the interpersonal problem-solving ability and working memory capacity of patients with schizophrenia and assessing the effect of a problem-solving training intervention on interpersonal problemsolving ability and working memory capacity among patients with schizophrenia. The study was conducted at El-Maamoura Hospital for Psychiatric Medicine, in Alexandria. Sixty male patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited and divided into two groups, a study and a control groups. According to the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that the problem-solving training intervention contributed positively in the enhancement of the interpersonal problem- solving ability and working memory capacity among patients with schizophrenia. This has been achieved by a wide variety of educational strategies conducted over several training sessions that covered topics about recognizing problems, defining problems, thinking about the alternative ways of solving the recognized problems and finally deciding about the best solution. It can also be concluded that the problem-solving ability and working memory capacity are not influenced by either the socio-demographic or the clinical characteristics of patients with schizophrenia.

Biography :

Rasha Salah Elsayed Eweida is a Lecturer at Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health Department at Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Egypt. She has completed her Master’s thesis and PhD from the Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University. She is currently teaching the theoretical lectures and practical training with different psychiatric diagnosis including schizophrenia, depression, and mood disorder etc., for the 4th year Nursing Students at EL-Maamoura Hospital for Psychiatric Medicine, in Alexandria. Moreover, she is also teaching the nursing students about how to provide the appropriate nursing care interventions for psychiatric patients? at EL-Maamoura Hospital for Psychiatric Medicine, in Alexandria during the practical training hours.