Effect of psychological nursing interventions on effectiveness and quality of life in schizophrenia patients receiving modified electroconvulsive therapy

Jing Lu

doi:10.12998/wjcc.v12.i16.2751

Effect of psychological nursing interventions on effectiveness and quality of life in schizophrenia patients receiving modified electroconvulsive therapy

World J Clin Cases. 2024 Jun 6;12(16):2751-2757. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i16.2751.

Author

Jing Lu¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Third People's Hospital of Shangrao City, Shangrao 334000, Jiangxi Province, China. oiqx055@163.com.

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is a common and severe mental disorder characterized by severe thought disturbances, hallucinations, delusions, and emotional instability. For some patients, conventional treatment methods may not effectively alleviate symptoms, necessitating the use of alternative therapeutic approaches. Modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) is an effective treatment modality for schizophrenia, inducing anti-depressive and antipsychotic effects through the stimulation of brain electrical activity.

Aim: To explore the impact of psychological nursing intervention (PNI) before and after MECT on the efficacy and quality of life of patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: Eighty patients with schizophrenia who received MECT treatment from 2021 to 2023 were randomly divided into two groups: The intervention group (n = 40) and the control group (n = 40). The intervention group received PNI before and after MECT, while the control group received routine nursing care. The efficacy of MECT was evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) before and after the treatment. The quality of life was assessed by the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) after the treatment.

Resuits: The intervention group had significantly lower scores of PANSS and CGI than the control group after the treatment (P < 0.05). The intervention group also had significantly higher scores of SF-36 than the control group in all domains except physical functioning (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: PNI before and after MECT can improve the efficacy and quality of life of patients with schizophrenia. It is suggested that nurses should provide individualized and comprehensive psychological care for patients undergoing MECT to enhance their recovery and well-being.

Keywords: Efficacy; Modified electroconvulsive therapy; Positive and negative syndrome scale; Psychological nursing interventions; Quality of life; Schizophrenia.