Assessment of psychosocial and demographic characteristics related to relapse in schizophrenic patients in psychiatric hospital of Assiut university.

Abstract

Relapse among schizophrenic patients is a major challenge for mental health service providers in Egypt. Relapse has negative consequences and it can affect to patients, their families, the mental health care providers and the country's economy. The study aimed toassess psychosocial and demographic characteristics associated with relapse in schizophrenic patients. Subjects and Method: Adescriptive correlational research design was used in this study. purposive sample were utilized , consisting of 100 patients who have schizophrenia and accepted to share in the study. Tools of the study inculde personal data, socio economic assessment scale and a specially designed semi-structured scale of relapse factors. Results: The participants consisted of 100 patients (58 males, 42 females), high statistically significant relation was found between socio economic level and age group (p= 0.007), no statistically significant relation was noticed between relapse factors and socio economic level. There is a negative correlation between social stigma and gender. The study concluded that there was a highly statistically significant relation between socio economic level and age group (p= 0.007). ,However there wasn't statistically significant relation between relapse factors and socio economic level, negative correlation between social stigma and gender Recommendation, Primary mental health care must be enhanced to prevent relapse among mentally ill patients, further studies are needed to investigate these factors on larger sample size with another tools and different settings