Attention, Memory, and Severe Mental Illness:Role of Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Vocational Training

Several studies have emphasized on the role rehabilitation, but there are very few studies that have focused on a comprehensive rehabilitation as compared to vocational training. This study described the effect of a comprehensive intervention of cognitive retraining and vocational training when compared to the vocational training alone in the patients of chronic schizophrenia. A group of 12 patients diagnosed as schizophrenia as per ICD 10 for a minimum of 5 years (chronic cases) between the age range of 30 and 45 years were taken who were on the maintenance dozes of antipsychotic medication, staying in the hospital (Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi) for 6 months, having significant cognitive deficits and compliant to intervention. Six of them were assigned to comprehensive training group, and six were for the vocational training group. The results indicated that though there were no significant differences between the comprehensive group and the vocational group, but there had been significant improvement within the each group from baseline through final assessment. The vocational training was as effective as comprehensive training program. However, the comprehensive group was somewhat better than the vocational group.