Effectiveness of health education in forensic psychiatry departments.

Abstract

Objectives: The subject of the study was to assess the therapeutic value of the author's health education programme developed for a group of patients of forensic psychiatry wards conducted in a group of patients long-term isolated from their natural environment. The main goal of the study was to answer the question of whether health education conducted in forensic psychiatry wards is effective and what value it represents in the process of treatment and rehabilitation of patients in forensic psychiatry wards.

Methods: The study was conducted at the State Hospital for the Nervous and Mentally Ill in Rybnik in the forensic psychiatry wards from December 2019 to May 2020. During the study, patients gained knowledge in the field of broad health education. The study group consisted of 67 men between the ages of 22 and 73 with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The method of measuring twice (before the health education cycle and after its completion) was applied using a proprietary questionnaire of patients' knowledge from the applied educational programme.

Results: After the implementation of the health education programme, there was a significant improvement in patients' knowledge.

Conclusions: Educational activities carried out among patients of forensic psychiatry departments effectively increase their knowledge level.