Importance: The occupational goal intervention (OGI) method has been proven effective in improving executive function (EF) in people with schizophrenia, but it has not yet been tested with those with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS).
Objective: To test the efficacy of the OGI in people with TRS.
Design: Single-blind randomized controlled trial.
Setting: The Schizophrenia Program, Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo General Hospital, Brazil.
Participants: People with TRS according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) criteria, ages 18 to 55. Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcome: improvement in EF as measured by the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS).
Secondary outcomes: improvement of functionality, as measured by the Direct Assessment of Functional Status-Revised (DAFS-BR), and improvement in autonomy in activities of daily living (ADLs), as measured by the Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS-BR), administered to caregivers. The outcomes were measured at baseline, posttreatment, and follow-up.
Intervention: Participants were divided into two groups: OGI and craft activities (control). Each group participated in 30 sessions during 15 wk, with follow-up at 6 mo postintervention.
Results: The OGI group improved significantly compared with the control group, with medium to large effect sizes in posttreatment scores on the BADS and DAFS-BR. The ILSS-BR showed the highest effect sizes at posttreatment and follow-up.
Conclusions and relevance: The OGI method is effective for improving EF, occupational performance and ADLs in people with TRS. What This Article Adds: The OGI method is an important therapeutic tool for use in the occupational therapy clinic.
Copyright © 2021 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.