Occupational Goal Intervention Method for the Management of Executive Dysfunction in People With Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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.