Effect of group psychotherapy on cognitive, social functions and curative efficacy in first-episode schizophrenia patients

Objective To investigate the effect of group psychotherapy on cognition, social function and psychiatric symptoms in patients with first-episode schizophrenia administrated with olanzapine for two months. Methods A total of 100 patients were diagnosed with schizophrenia who are in the Seventh People's Hospital of Hangzhou from December, 2015 to March, 2017 were divided into study group (n=50) and control group (n=50) according to random number table. The study group was given 8 weeks group psychotherapy. At baseline, at 8 weeks WCST was used to assess cognitive function, PSP to assess social function, PANSS to assess psychiatric symptoms, and analyze the results. Results Before treatment, there was no significant difference in cognitive function, social function and mental symptoms between the two groups. After 8 weeks of group psychotherapy, total response, the number of error response, continuous error and non-continuous error in the study group decreased compared with that before treatment, the number of correct responses and the number of completed classification increased. Compared with the control group, total response, the number of correct responses and the number of incorrect responses. The number of continuous errors, the number of non-continuous errors, the number of completed classification differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the total score of PSP in the study group was higher than that in the control group. The scores of beneficial activities, social relations and self-care factors were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the groups>0.05. After treatment, the scores of negative symptoms decreased in the study group, and the difference of negative symptoms between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Group psychotherapy can effectively improve cognitive function, social function and negative symptoms in first episode schizophrenia patients.