Effectiveness of Psychosocial Rehabilitation: Innovative Method of Results Assessment

Abstract

Background: The main problem of evaluating the effectiveness of psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) is incorrect methods of processing psychometric data obtained with the help of appropriate tools (scales and questionnaires), which are standard used to measure the effectiveness of interventions within the framework of the implementation of PSR procedures. The purpose of the study: 1) а systematic analysis of the problems of assessing the severity of mental disorders and the effectiveness of subsequent PSR; 2) development of cardinal algorithms for processing the initial expert information in order to obtain appropriate numerical criteria for the effectiveness of the PSR. Material and methods: a systematic analysis of domestic and foreign publications, based on the results of their own research on the problems of assessing patients’ conditions, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of a comprehensive long-term PSR program for people with schizophrenia and schizophrenic spectrum disorders in various forms of care (public organization, day hospital, hospital). As methods of information processing, clinical-psychopathological, psychometric, as well as methods of system analysis and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) were used. Results: an innovative methodology and algorithms for processing expert clinical, psychopathological and psychometric information based on the AHP apparatus have been developed to develop criteria for the effectiveness of PSR. The cardinal difference between the proposed approach and the rank methods of processing initial information is that the results of processing initial expert information are obtained in the fundamental scale of AHP (numerical scale), which ensures the correct integration of psychometric and psychosocial characteristics of patients when considering diagnostic procedures, psychosocial therapy and rehabilitation. Conclusions: the calculations are based on expert assessments of the weight of areas of impaired functioning of patients and the corresponding changes in psychosocial characteristics. This ensures the universality of the methodology and algorithms for evaluating the effectiveness of any rehabilitation interventions: from psychosocial to physiotherapy.