Background: Schizophrenia is one of the most disabling mental disorders, in which important functional activities such as independent life, production, and occupational activities, and social interactions of affected patients are damaged. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of "Open the Doors" program education on meta-cognitive beliefs, self-care activities, and activities of everyday life in patients with schizophrenia.
Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted using a pretest-posttest. The statistical population of the research included all patients with schizophrenia hospitalized in Rehabilitation Centers in Maragheh; among which 30 ones were selected using the available selection method. The patients were randomly categorized in experimental and control groups. Both groups completed Barthel Activities of daily living index, Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, and Wales’s meta-cognitive beliefs questionnaire in two stages of pre-test and post-test. Patients with schizophrenia in the experimental group received "Open the Doors" program education for 3 months and patients in the control group received daily rehabilitation programs during this time.
Results: Findings showed that the "Open the Doors" program, instrumental activities, and self-care activities of patients in the experimental group were significantly improved following the intervention; however, this program didn’t have any significant effect on the meta-cognitive beliefs of the experimental group.
Conclusion: "Open the Doors" program education improved the skills of everyday life of patients with schizophrenia and prepares them for living with family members.