Psychological Changes in Chronic Schizophrenics Following Differential Activity Programmes: A Repeat Study

¹ Psychology Department, Springfield Hospital, London, S.W.7; Psychology Department, University of Reading

The results of the present replication study of the behavioural effects of Workshop activation as against the effects of Occupational Therapy were in the main consistent with the results of the first study, and it was possible to repeat the findings of trends favouring Workshop Therapy. On the other hand, as distinct from the first study, incentive responsiveness, when opportunity for increased earnings was made available was found in one Workshop subgroup though not in another. The present study did not show the previously found effect arising from team work. The findings, despite their replication, must be interpreted with caution because of the smallness of the groups and the brevity of the experimental investigation. The practical implication of the series of studies undertaken seems to be that it is well worth while to continue introducing industrial work into mental hospitals so that its effects may be assessed over a number of years on groups of differential clinical status, with a variety of incentive conditions over varying periods of time.