The Role of Community Re-entry Program (CRP) in Strengthening the Effectiveness of Conventional Psychiatric Treatment on Therapeutic Outcomes During Hospitalization, in Patients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Considering the many problems of conventional psychiatric therapies in the treatment of severe psychiatric disorders especially schizophrenia spectrum disorders, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of CRP in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders during the acute phase hospitalization of these patients.Methods: We evaluated the role of (CRP) in strengthening the effectiveness of Conventional psychiatric treatment on the number of visits to the nursing station, PRN received, physical restraint(s) and the exact date of hospitalization and discharge of patients during hospitalization, in patients with Schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The Interventional method was Community Re-entry Program (CRP), in combination with conventional psychiatric treatment in the experimental group, while the patients in the control group received only conventional psychiatric treatment. Measurement Performed using demographic information questionnaire, and Positive and Negative syndrome Scale. Then the collected information and data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially.Results: The results of this study showed that use of CRP in combination with conventional psychiatric treatment was more effective in reducing positive and negative syndrome, as well as the frequency of receiving PRN and physical restraint compared to conventional psychiatric treatment alone. However, the observed decrease in hospitalization duration and the rate of adhesion in the experimental group was not statistically significant.Conclusion: These results indicate that the implementation of CRP as an adjunctive therapeutic method, can increase the effectiveness of conventional psychiatric treatment used in therapeutic centers for patients with severe psychiatric disorders, leads to better treatment outcomes for these patients, and increases the social adjustment and sustainability of these patients in society; a finding that is consistent with new therapeutic theories of these patients, experiences of expert clinicians and the findings of research on improving of therapeutic approaches to severe psychiatric disorders.Trial registration: The study has been approved by the Ethical Review Board of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran (IR.USWR.REC.1396.150).