Qualitative assessment of verbal and non-verbal psychosocial interventions for people with severe mental illness

Background: Various forms of psychosocial interventions for people with severe mental illness (SMI) exist. These interventions include verbal interventions as well as activity-based interventions. Aims: To compare three psychosocial interventions with persons with SMI using qualitative assessment. The interventions tested were: (a) a psycho-educational recovery oriented verbal intervention, (b) training in karate (an activity-based intervention), and (c) aerobic exercises (a control intervention). Method: 145 people with a diagnosis of a SMI (schizophrenia, schizoaffective, affective disorder, severe personality disorders) were randomly assigned to the above three interventions. Sixty-four participants who had participated in 12 or more sessions were interviewed during the last week of each intervention. Participants' accounts of the intervention process and outcome were analyzed qualitatively. Results: Training in karate improved the cognitive and physical status of the participants and increased their self-control and sense of empowerment, more than the verbal intervention. Conclusions: An activity-based intervention might be more effective than a psycho-educational verbal intervention.