SCHIZOPHRENIA, SOCIAL PHOBIA AND SOCIAL THERAPEUTIC CARE OF PATIENTS IN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN RUMUIGBO, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The main focus of this study was the investigation of the schizophrenia, social phobia and social therapeutic care of patients in Rumuigbo in Rivers State, Nigeria. Two objectives and two research questions were generated for the study. Descriptive design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of patients with schizophrenia and social phobia in psychiatric hospital in Rumuigbo in Rivers State, Nigeria. It consisted of population figure of 1000 visiting patients in the foregoing hospital. A sample of 200 was used for the study. Furthermore, simple random sampling technique was used to select psychiatric hospital in Rumuigbo out of similar hospitals in Rivers State. Accidental sampling technique was used to reach 200 patients with schizophrenia and social phobia, which the researcher and his supportive staff had suddenly, ran into. Questionnaire was formulated for data collection, and this instrument was content validated by professionals in the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba. Also, a reliability value of 0.75 Correlation Coefficient was obtained for the study. The statistical analysis involving percentage and frequency tables were used to analyze personal data and responses collated from research questions. The results of the analyses revealed that schizophrenia and social phobia among patients were treated by using therapeutic care in order to improve on their mental health. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others, that the Federal Government in conjunction with State Government should sensitize the public on the dangers of social factors such as negative interactions, drug abuse, family conflicts, etc., and physical environmental factors such as noise pollution, exposure to toxins, overcrowded urban living conditions, etc. on the persistence of schizophrenia and social phobia in the study area.