Objects:
@EN The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the therapeutic environment, divided into the open and closed wards, to treat the acute phase of chronic schizophrenic patients.
@ES Method:
@EN Forty patients(20 were in the open ward and the others were in the closed ward) who met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and whose onset of illness were more than 2 years, entered the study. To assess the psychotic symptoms, Brief
Psychiatric
Rating Scales(BPRS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scales(PANSS) were done at admission(baseline value), and at the weeks 2, 4, and 8 after admission, Mean changes from baseline were compared at each time point by using Student's t-test and
ANCOVA.
@ES Results:
@EN All patients tended to be improved on BPRS and PANSS during the test period. The total scores of BPRS and withdrawal-retardatation subscale of the open ward group significantly decreased, than those of the closed ward group at weeks 2, weeks
2
and 4
after admission, respectively. The open ward group was more improved on the negative syndrome scale of PANSS than those of the closed ward group at 2 and 4 weeks after admission.
@ES Conclusion:
@EN The open ward group showed more improvement on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia in the initial period of hospitalization. The result may suggest that the therapeutic environment of the open ward is strongly recommended to prevent
regressive
tendencies that are common in chronic hospitalized patients.
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