Rehabilitation

The essentials

Treatment of psychological disorders aims both to reduce symptoms and to improve the quality of life. People with severe disorders such as schizophrenia may continue to show negative symptoms (lack of interest, lack of initiative, social withdrawal) even after active symptoms are controlled by medicines. Rehabilitation helps them become self-reliant and return to productive life.

Key points

• Occupational therapy: patients are taught skills such as candle-making, paper bag making and weaving to form a work discipline.
• Social skills training: through role play, imitation and instruction, patients learn interpersonal skills.
• Cognitive retraining: improving basic cognitive functions such as attention, memory and executive functions.
• Vocational training: after improvement, patients are helped to gain skills needed for productive employment.
• Biomedical therapy is given by psychiatrists. Antipsychotic drugs help in schizophrenia; antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs are also used. Medicines may have side effects and must be taken only under medical supervision.
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) passes a mild electric current through the brain to induce a convulsion; it is given only by a psychiatrist, when other treatment has not worked.
• Family, community and society play key roles; reducing stigma helps people return to normal life.

Exam tips

• Match each rehabilitation method to its aim: work discipline (occupational), relating to others (social skills), attention and memory (cognitive retraining), jobs (vocational).

Common mistakes

• Thinking medication alone ensures recovery; rehabilitation addresses negative symptoms and daily functioning.
• Psychologists do not prescribe medicines or give ECT; these are done by psychiatrists.