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

Table 1 Descriptive statistics of the participants, n (%)/mean ± SD

Variable	Intervention group (n = 40)	Control group (n = 40)	P value
Age (Yr)	35.6 ± 9.8	36.2 ± 10.2	0.76
Gender			0.93
Male	22 (55)	23 (57.5)
Female	18 (45)	17 (42.5)
Education (yr)	10.4 ± 3.2	10.2 ± 3.4	0.82
Duration of illness (months)	48.7 ± 24.6	50.3 ± 26.1	0.79
PANSS total score	86.5 ± 14.3	87.2 ± 15.1	0.84
CGI severity score	4.8 ± 0.9	4.9 ± 0.8	0.71
SF-36 total score	42.3 ± 8.7	41.9 ± 9.2	0.88

PANSS: Positive and negative syndrome scale; GGI: Clinical global impression scale; SF-36: Short form 36 health survey.

Table 2 Inferential statistics of the outcome variables, mean ± SD

Variable	Intervention group (n = 40)	Control group (n = 40)	P value
PANSS total score			< 0.001
Before treatment	86.5 ± 14.3	87.2 ± 15.1	0.84
After treatment	58.7 ± 12.4	73.4 ± 13.6	< 0.001
Change	-27.8 ± 9.7	-13.8 ± 8.9	< 0.001
CGI severity score			< 0.001
Before treatment	4.8 ± 0.9	4.9 ± 0.8	0.71
After treatment	3.1 ± 0.7	4.1 ± 0.9	< 0.001
Change	-1.7 ± 0.6	-0.8 ± 0.7	< 0.001
SF-36 total score			< 0.001
After treatment	58.4 ± 10.2	48.6 ± 11.3	< 0.001
Change	16.1 ± 7.8	6.7 ± 8.4	< 0.001
SF-36 domains
Physical functioning	64.5 ± 15.4	61.3 ± 16.7	0.29
Role-physical	56.3 ± 18.7	43.8 ± 19.4	< 0.001
Bodily pain	60.0 ± 17.6	48.8 ± 18.9	< 0.001
General health	52.5 ± 12.9	44.4 ± 14.3	< 0.001
Vitality	55.0 ± 13.4	46.3 ± 14.7	< 0.001
Social functioning	62.5 ± 16.8	51.3 ± 18.2	< 0.001
Role-emotional	58.8 ± 19.6	45.0 ± 21.4	< 0.001
Mental health	59.4 ± 15.2	49.4 ± 16.8	< 0.001

PANSS: Positive and negative syndrome scale; GGI: Clinical global impression scale; SF-36: Short form 36 health survey.

Table 3 The impact of psychological nursing interventions on the efficacy and quality of life of patients with schizophrenia receiving modified electroconvulsive therapy

Theme	Description	Quote
Satisfaction	Patients and nurses expressed high satisfaction with PNI, and reported that it was helpful, supportive, and informative	“PNI helped me to understand and cope with my condition and treatment, and the nurses were very patient and friendly, I felt respected and cared for” (Patient 1)
		“PNI is a comprehensive and individualized approach that meets the different needs and preferences of the patients, I think it is very beneficial for their recovery and well-being” (Nurse 2)
Improvement in symptoms and functioning	Patients and nurses reported that PNI improved the symptoms and functioning of the patients, such as reducing hallucinations and delusions, enhancing mood and motivation, and increasing social and occupational activities	“PNI taught me how to cope and manage my stress and emotions, I felt my symptoms were reduced, and I was more willing to communicate and cooperate with my family and friends” (Patient 3)
		“PNI improved the medication adherence and treatment outcome of the patients, I observed that their positive and negative symptoms were significantly improved, and their cognition and memory were also restored” (Nurse 4)
Reduction in adverse effects of MECT	Patients and nurses reported that PNI reduced the adverse effects of MECT, such as cognitive impairment and memory loss	“PNI helped me to understand and deal with the side effects of MECT, I did not feel as headache and nausea as before, and my memory was not affected too much” (Patient 5)
		“PNI reduced the cognitive and memory impairment of MECT on the patients, by providing psychoeducation, promoting medication adherence, and enhancing coping skills, and increased the safety and comfort of the patients” (Nurse 6)
Enhancement in quality of life	Patients and nurses reported that PNI enhanced the quality of life of the patients, such as improving their self-esteem, self-care, and relationships	“PNI enhanced my confidence and self-esteem, I felt I had the ability and value to do some meaningful things, and I also cared more about my health and appearance” (Patient 7)

MECT: Modified electroconvulsive therapy; PNI: Psychological nursing intervention.