الفهرس 
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Abstract
SUMMARY
Schizophrenia is a profound psychiatric illness, affecting such basic psychologic processes as though content and form, perception, affect, sense of self, volition, relationship with the outside world and psychomotor behavior. Its negative symptoms have been found to correlate positively with social skill deficits and to vary inversely with interpersonal activity.
Aim of the Study
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of activity therapy on the negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenic patients.
Subjects and Methods
Research Design
Descriptive exploratory design was utilized in this study.
Sampling
A sample including 50 female schizophrenic patients was recruited from the inpatient departments at El-Abassia Mental Health Hospital with the following criteria age < 40 years, has at least one previous admission, and duration of illness at least one year.
Setting
This study was conducted at El-Abassia mental Health Hospital in female departments (15&29) because patients in these departments do not receive any activity therapy.
Tools of data collection three tools were used for data collection:
1- Assessment Sheet: (Appendix I)
It was used to assess sociodemographic data, such as patient age, level of education, marital status, occupation and residence, number of previous admissions, duration of illness, type of antipsychotic medications received and side effects.
2- Observation Rating Scale: (Appendix II)
It was Adopted from Ramadan (1996) to assess the level of patient’s performance. It is a descriptive scale based mainly on the rater’s observation of the patients. It includes items related to personal hygiene, general appearance, physical movement, eating, patient’s thinking, perception, social relation, patients affect, attention, memory, orientation, judgment and insight.
It also includes items related to patient’s participation in physical exercise, occupational therapy, recreational therapy and group discussion.
3- Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS): (Appendix III)
It was originally developed by Kay et al. (1987). It is a structured interviewing sheet designed to discriminate between positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms were measured on a 7-point Likert scale with response options of absent (1), minimal (2), mild (3), moderate (4), moderately severe (5), severe (6), and extreme (7). In the current study the PANSS rating was modified statistically to four point likert scale which were absent (1), mild (2), moderate (3), and severe (4).
Results
The results of this study have shown the following:
• The main findings of this study revealed that for slightly more than three fifths of patients their age was less than 40 years. The greatest proportion of them were single representing 66.0%, the highest percentage of educational level, among patients, was for illiterate (38.0%) and almost two thirds of patients were from urban areas representing 66.0%.
• More than one third (36.0%) had a duration of hospitalization of 5 years or more.
• Approximately three quarters (76.0%) of the studied sample were receiving chemical drug therapy.
• There were statistically significant differences between cleanliness and appearance, pre and post implemention of activity therapy (p < 0.05).
• Implementation of activity therapy had a significant effect in relation to sharing in morning physical exercises, performing physical activities, participating in recreational occupational therapy and group discussions.
• The findings showed that there were no statistically significant differences between perception, social relationship, affect and pattern of thinking, pre and post implementation of activity therapy (p > 0.05).
• The finding showed that there were no statistically significant differences between activity therapy and age, number of hospital admissions and total positive symptoms.
• The findings showed that there were no statistically significant differences between activity therapy, age, number of hospital admissions and total negative symptoms.
The study recommended that there is a need for inservice training program about activity therapy for continuous updating of nurse’s knowledge and performance which allows a better quality of life for patients with schizophrenia.