Study of a comprehensive follow-up intervention for recently discharged patients with schizophrenia

Objective: To investigate the effect of a comprehensive follow-up intervention, including internet-based, telephone, and in-person return visit follow-up components, on the quality of life, symptom recurrence rate, and aberrant behavior in individuals previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. Method: In total, 600 participants, previously treated for schizophrenia and then discharged, were randomly and evenly divided into a control group and a study group. Participants in the study group received comprehensive clinical follow-up via an internet platform, telephone, and in-person clinic visits. Participants in the control group received only standard, in-person clinic follow-up support. Outcome measures included assessment of participants' symptom recurrence rate and troublemaking danger level after discharge. The Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale was further used to assess the quality of life of all participants across both groups. Results: Mean personal and social performance scores for participants in the study group were greater than those in the control group (P < 0.05). One-and two-year recurrence rates were lower in individuals in the study group (P < 0.01), as were the number of patients with serious troublemaking danger levels after 2 years (P < 0.01). Conclusions: An internet-based, comprehensive follow-up intervention can effectively reduce the recurrence rate and troublemaking danger level in individuals previously treated for schizophrenia. These results suggest a promising potential therapeutic option that may improve the quality of life of patients with debilitating psychiatric disease.