Seemal Vehra¹, Ejaz Mahmood Ahmed Qureshi² and Samina Zubair Chawala²

ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess the rehabilitation services for mentally ill patients and their outcome.

Study Design: Descriptive study

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Punjab Institute of Mental Health Lahore, Pakistan (PIMH) from July, 2014 to October, 2014.

Materials and Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires were developed to collect data for 85 mentally ill patients (admitted in the rehabilitation unit), from caretakers working in the Rehabilitation Units, using simple random sampling technique. Demographic data was collected from hospital records.  

Results: Psychiatric patients who underwent treatment for duration longer than 6 weeks in Rehabilitation Units, showed statistically significant positive responses in terms of having a friendly attitude with doctors (χ²=3.542; p=0.059), fellow patients  (χ²=8.432 ; p=0.003) and paramedical staff (χ²=5.051; p=0.024). Moreover, their personal hygiene improved and they not only took interest in watching television, singing and games but also showed enthusiasm on meeting with their relatives (χ²=11.484 ; p=0.001). Their ability to quickly grasp instructions showed a significant enhancement (χ²=7.083; p=0.007) and their ability to use labour tools during vocational training increased (χ²=8.745; p=0.003). However, comparatively less eagerness was shown in block printing on clothes (χ²= 2.941; p=0.086) and weaving clothes on ‘khaddi’(χ²=3.035 ; p=0.081) .  

Conclusion: The study concluded that vocational and psychosocial rehabilitation had been beneficial for chronic mentally ill patients and prepared them to revert back to normal life become useful and respectable members of the society.

Key Words: Rehabilitation services, deinstitutionalization, mentally ill patients, vocational rehabilitation.

Citation of article: Vehra S, Qureshi EMA, Chawala SZ. Assessment of Rehabilitation Practices and outcomes: A Case study on mentally ill patients in Rehabilitation Unit of Punjab Institute of Mental Health