Archives of Psychiatric Nursing xxx (2016) xxx–xxx

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Archives of Psychiatric Nursing

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The Effect of Yoga on Functional Recovery Level in

Schizophrenic Patients☆
Funda Kavak a,⁎, Mine Ekinci b
a
Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
b
Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey

a b s t r a c t

Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine the effect of yoga on functional recovery level in schizo-
phrenic patients.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control
group. The population of the study consisted of schizophrenic patients with registered in Malatya and Elazığ
Community Mental Health Centers and regularly going to these centers. The sample group of the study consisted
of totally 100 patients including 50 patients in the experimental group and 50 patients in the control group who
were specified through power analysis and chosen by using random sampling method from this population.
The data were collected between April 2015 and August 2015. ‘Patient Description Form’ and ‘FROGS’ were
used to collect the data. Yoga was applied to patients in the experimental group. Any intervention
was not made to patients in the control group. Percentage distribution, arithmetic mean, standard deviation,
chi-square, independent samples t test, and paired t test were used to assess the data.
Results: Patients in the control and experimental group pretest subscale and the total means scores of FROGS was
found to be low. In the posttest subscale and total means scores of FROGS in the experimental group were higher
than in the control group and the differences between them were found to be statistically significant (p b 0.05).
In the experimental group pretest and posttest subscale and total means scores of FR0GS was determined to be
statistically significant (p b 0.05).
Conclusion: Yoga that applied to schizophrenic patients it was determined to increased the level of functional
recovery. It can be suggested that yoga should be used as an complementary method in nursing practise in
order to increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Schizophrenia is a long-term mental disorder with disturbed emo-
tion, thought, perception, and behavior and its prevalence is 1% (Lally
et al., 2016). Schizophrenia causes impairment of psycho-social func-
tioning and loss of skill (Medalia & Thysen, 2008). Today, it is known
that 25% of schizophrenic patients recover considerably through an ap-
propriate treatment, and 50% maintained their independent or socially
supported lives by showing moderate recovery (Van Os & Kapur, 2009).
With the medication administered to the patients with schizophre-
nia, positive symptoms generally reduce and negative symptoms
frequently remain without any change (Ventura, Wood, Jimenez,
& Hellemann, 2013). Therefore, the medication in patients with
schizophrenia is not adequate alone. In addition to medication,
psycho-social approaches and rehabilitation enhance the efficiency
of the treatment (Sabbag et al., 2011). Psycho-social approaches
include; titles of medical treatment, cognitive behavioral approach,
coping, and psycho-education. The most suitable method in treatment
☆ This study has been accepted as a doctoral thesis in 2016.
⁎ Corresponding Author: Funda Kavak, Assistan Professor, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
E-mail address: funda-kavak@hotmail.com (F. Kavak).
of schizophrenia is to integrate medication with the complementary
treatments (Valenstein et al., 2006).
The aim of treatment in patients with schizophrenia is to eliminate
symptoms of disease and reintroduce the patients into the society by
enhancing their quality of life and functionality (Hill & Startup, 2013).
Functional remission includes; to have the capacity for doing what is re-
quested in the fields such as acquiring insight regarding heath and treat-
ment, carrying out of daily routines by patients, ensuring administrative
and financial management, doing the household chores, interpersonal
relations, providing the social environment required for life, profession-
al functioning (Iffland & Lockhofen, 2015). Functioning in the patients
with schizophrenia is affected by positive symptoms (disturbed thought
and behavior), negative symptoms (withdrawal from society, autism,
and decrease in willingly performed actions), mood, social behaviors,
and all of the environmental factors the patient lives in (Robertson &
Prestia, 2014). To revert the condition before the disorder has recently
become an aim for functional remission in treatment of the patients
with schizophrenia (Dominguez & Penades, 2015). It is required for
the patients to be evaluated holistically in order to improve functional
remission. There are Community-Mental Health Centers and Protected
Houses providing various occupational therapies, psycho-social

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.07.010
0883-9417/© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article as: Kavak, F., & Ekinci, M., The Effect of Yoga on Functional Recovery Level in Schizophrenic Patients, Archives of Psychiatric
Nursing (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.07.010
2 F. Kavak, M. Ekinci / Archives of Psychiatric Nursing xxx (2016) xxx–xxx

Fig. 1. Elazığ Community Mental Health Centre.

approaches, day care for enhancing functional remission levels of the
patients with schizophrenia.
Musicotherapy, aromatherapy, massage, reflexology, animal
therapy, cinematherapy, and yoga may be regarded among commonly
used complementary treatments. In recent years, yoga has taken its
place among the complementary therapies in psychiatric practices.
Yoga is the oldest Indian system in the healthcare system approaching
holistically to human in the world. Yoga is applied as a therapy for im-
proving mental health in the field of psychiatrics in numerous countries
(Paikkatt & Singh, 2012). After 2-week yoga applied by Manjunath and
Varambally (2013) to 88 schizophrenic patients, it was determined that
general symptoms decreased and functional remission levels increased
in the patients. As a result of 6-week yoga practice applied by Jayaram,
Varambally, and Behere (2013) to 43 patients with schizophrenia, social
functioning was observed to increase in patients. Yoga has several
effects on schizophrenic patients, such as increasing well-being,
increasing happiness, increasing life success and job satisfaction of
someone in a sense, decreasing anxiety and distress. Along with these
effects, yoga has been also determined to regulate functional remission
(Khalsa, 2009). Viscegliaa and Lewis (2011) applied yoga on 18 patients
with schizophrenia for 2 weeks and found that when yoga exercises
were performed in addition to medication, it increased efficiency
of treatment.
While number of the studies conducted on patients with schizo-
phrenia in the world is limited (Viscegliaa & Lewis, 2011), there has
been no study conducted with yoga on schizophrenic patients in
Turkey. Researchers found functional remission level as low in their pre-
vious study conducted on schizophrenic patients residing in Protected
Houses in Elazığ province (Kavak & Ekinci, 2014). For this purpose, it
was thought that yoga would create positive effects on functional remis-
sion level of schizophrenic patients by utilizing its effects concerning in-
creasing awareness, participation to social activities, and inter-personal
relations (Jayaram et al., 2013, Manjunath & Varambally, 2013). This
study is an original one aiming at improving functional remission level
of schizophrenic patients with yoga. It is thought that yoga applied in
the study could be used as a complementary method along with
treatment in practice areas of psychiatric nursing. Furthermore, the
results of the study are expected to contribute to nursing practices to
be performed in this field.
This study was conducted in order to determine the effect of
yoga, applied to the patients with schizophrenia, on their functional
remission levels.
H1. Yoga, applied to the patients with schizophrenia, increases their
functional remission level.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
Research Design
This study was conducted as quasi-experimental model with
pretest-posttest control group.

Fig. 2. Malatya Community Mental Health Centre.

Please cite this article as: Kavak, F., & Ekinci, M., The Effect of Yoga on Functional Recovery Level in Schizophrenic Patients, Archives of Psychiatric
Nursing (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.07.010
 F. Kavak, M. Ekinci / Archives of Psychiatric Nursing xxx (2016) xxx–xxx 3

The study was conducted in Göztepe Community Mental Health Sample

Centre located in the city centre of Malatya and Elazığ Community
Mental Health Centre located in the city centre of Elazığ between
April 2015 and January 2016.
Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) consist of reading
room, kitchen, sports room, educational room, job-occupational room,
television room, and dining room. Additionally, 1 psychiatrist, 1
psychologist, 3 nurses, 1 secretary, and 2 personnel take charge in the
centers and these centers have been providing service for 3 years.
Patients are brought to these centers from their homes at 09.00 in the
morning via bus services and taken to their homes again at 16.00 in
the evening. There were totally 250 patients with schizophrenia including
100 patients registered in Malatya CMHC and 150 registered in Elazığ
CMHC. While Fig. 1 shows Elazığ CMHC, Fig. 2 shows Malatya CMHC.
The population of the study consisted of totally 250 patients with
schizophrenia including 100 registered in Malatya CMHC and 150 regis-
tered in Elazığ CMHC. Sample size was determined as 100 (50 experi-
mental, 50 control) with significance level of 0.05, effect size of 0.7,
and ability of representing population of 0.95 based on testing property
of power analysis hypothesis performed in order to determine the sam-
ple of the study. In order to prevent patients with schizophrenia to be
affected from each other, experimental and control groups were chosen
from two different CMHCs with the same manner of work, opportuni-
ties offered, healthcare professionals and patient population. Within
this scope; while control group was chosen from Elazığ CMHC, experi-
mental group was chosen from Malatya CMHC. 100 schizophrenic

Study Plan

EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL GROUP

GROUP
n=50 n=50

Pretest (June 2015) Pretest (April 2015)

• Patient Description Form • Patient Description Form
• Functional Remission of • Functional Remission of
General Schizophrenia General Schizophrenia
Scale Scale

6-WEEK YOGA NO INTERVENTION

PRACTICE

Posttest (August 2015) Posttest (August 2015)

• Functional Remission of • Functional Remission of

General Schizophrenia General Schizophrenia
Scale Scale

Fig. 3. Study Plan.

Please cite this article as: Kavak, F., & Ekinci, M., The Effect of Yoga on Functional Recovery Level in Schizophrenic Patients, Archives of Psychiatric
Nursing (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.07.010
4 F. Kavak, M. Ekinci / Archives of Psychiatric Nursing xxx (2016) xxx–xxx

Table 1 first time. The validity and reliability study of the scale in Turkey was
Distribution of the Patients in Terms of Their Descriptive Characteristics. conducted by Emiroğlu in 2009 (Aydemir, 2014). The scale is a-5
Descriptive Characteristics Control Experimental Test value and point Likert type scale with 19 items. Cronbach Alpha coefficient in reli-
Group Group Significance ability study of Turkish version of the scale was found as 0.89 9.
(n = 50) (n = 50) Cronbach Alpha coefficient of the scale in this study was determined
n % n % to be 0.91. There are 5 evaluation levels for each item in the scale
Age (Emiroğlu, 2009). The scale consists of 4 subscales as social functioning,
18–28 17 34.0 14 28.0 X2 = 0.421 health and treatment, daily living skills, and occupational functioning.
29–39 23 46.0 25 50.0 p N 0.05 The lowest score to be obtained from the scale is 19 and the highest
40–50 10 20.0 11 22.0 score is 95. As the total score obtained from the scale increases, func-
Gender
Male 37 74.0 36 72.0 X2 = 0.051
tional remission level increases.
Female 13 26.0 14 28.0 p N 0.05 The data were collected by researcher using the face-to-face inter-
Marital Status view method in a special room in CMHC. While execution of pretest
Married 18 36.0 7 14.0 X2 = 0.638 forms in the experimental and control groups in the study (Patient
Single 32 64.0 43 86.0 N0.05
Description Form and FROGS) was completed in April 2015, execution
Education
Literate 10 20.0 7 14.0 X2 = 2.577 of posttest forms (Patient Description Form and FROGS) was completed
Primary School 20 40.0 28 56.0 p N 0.05 in August 2015. Fig. 3 shows the study plan.
Secondary School 20 40.0 15 30.0 The researcher who would apply yoga participated in a 6-month
Perception of Income level yoga education program before the practice.
Bad 5 10.0 2 4.0
Moderate 35 70.0 35 70.0 X2 = 1.677
Yoga practice was described to experimental group firstly by using
High 10 20.0 13 26.0 p N 0.05 video. Then, for yoga practice, experimental group of 50 people was di-
Working Condition vided into three sub-groups in order to facilitate attendance to the prac-
Employed 7 14.0 1 2.0 X2 = 4.891 tice. The practice was conducted by researcher in exercise hall found in
Unemployed 43 86.0 49 98.0 p N 0.05
CMHC. The first group between 09:00–09:40 in the morning, the second
Mental Disorder
History in the Family group between 10:00–10:40, and the third group between 11:00–11:40
Yes 28 56.0 32 64.0 X2 = 0.667 were included in the practice. The practice was performed as a 40-
No 22 44.0 18 36.0 p N 0.05 minute single session everyday on weekdays for 6 weeks in order to
Is only Medication Adequate make the practice more efficient. The follow-up of the patients was con-
Yes 3 6.0 2 4.0 X2 = 0.211
No 47 94.0 48 96.0 p N 0.05
ducted by the researcher and absent patients were called. The patients
Restriction of Social Activity who did not attend were asked to participate to the other session in
Yes 50 100.0 49 98.0 X2 = 1.010 order for the program not to fail.
No 1 2.0 p N 0.05

*Groups show homogenous distribution.
patients, who were registered in both CMHCs and regularly attending to
CMHC, and met inclusion criteria and voluntary basis, were included in
the study without performing any sampling method for selecting con-
trol and experimental groups. The Inclusion Criteria of the Study;
being aged between 18 and 55 years, being literate, having no educa-
tional and language problem to prevent psychiatric interview to be con-
ducted, being open to communication and cooperation. The Exclusion
Criteria of the Study; being within acute exacerbation period, having de-
mentia and/or other organic mental disorder, having mental retardation
determined through clinical interview.
Data Collection Tools and Procedure
Patient Description Form
The Patient Description Form was developed by the researcher
and consisted of totally 9 questions involving socio-demographic
characteristics of patients and information about the course of disease
and treatment.
Functional Remission of General Schizophrenia Scale (FROGS)
The original version of The Functional Remission of General Schizo-
phrenia Scale-(FROGS) was developed by Llorca et al., in 2009 for the
Dependent Variable: Dependent variable of the study was functional
remission.
Independent Variable: Independent variable of the study was yoga.
Approval from Ethics committee of Ataturk University Faculty of
Health Sciences and legal permission from institutions where the
study was conducted were taken in order to conduct the study. The pa-
tients included in the study were informed about the aim of the study
and their questions were answered. The patients were informed about
the fact that their information would be kept confidential and not be
used in any other place, and they have the right to withdraw from the
study at anytime.
Since the use of human fact in the study requires protection of
individual rights, “Informed Consent Principle”, “Voluntary Basis” and
“Protection of Confidentiality Principle” which are relevant ethical
principles were realized. In the study, after yoga practice applied to
the experimental group was completed, yoga was also applied to the
control group.
Results of the study can be generalized only to this group.
Yoga Practice and Program
Yoga practice consisted of 6 weeks. Yoga practice involved following
stages; 5-minute breathing exercises in standing position, 5-minute
breathing exercises in sitting position, 5-minute breathing exercises in

Table 2
Statistical Methods Used in the Study.

Property Statistical Method

• Comparison of descriptive characteristics of experimental and control groups • Percentage distribution

• Arithmetic mean
• Chi-square test
• Comparison of mean scores of experimental and control groups • Independent samples t test
• Comparison of FROGS subscale and total mean scores of experimental and control groups before and after yoga practice • Paired t test

Please cite this article as: Kavak, F., & Ekinci, M., The Effect of Yoga on Functional Recovery Level in Schizophrenic Patients, Archives of Psychiatric
Nursing (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.07.010
 F. Kavak, M. Ekinci / Archives of Psychiatric Nursing xxx (2016) xxx–xxx 5

Table 3
Yoga Practice Program by Weeks.

1st Week • Meeting patients, preparing the physical space where the yoga would be applied
• Giving information related to yoga and watching a yoga CD
• Applying breathing techniques of yoga
2nd Week • Applying Yoga Breathing Techniques accompanied with music
• Adding two of positions along with breathing techniques
• Meditation and deep relaxation accompanied with music
3rd Week • Applying two positions in addition to Yoga breathing techniques and positions
• Meditation and deep relaxation accompanied with music
4th Week • Applying two positions in addition to Yoga breathing techniques and previous week
• Meditation and deep relaxation accompanied with music
• Giving homework for patients to apply only yoga breathing techniques for half an hour at home
5th Week • Applying one position in addition to Yoga breathing techniques and previous week
• Meditation and deep relaxation accompanied with music
• Giving homework for patients to apply yoga breathing techniques, meditation and deep relaxation for half an hour at home
6th Week • Applying simple yoga techniques as a whole
• Receiving opinions of patients regarding yoga

lying position, 10-minute relaxation (mediation) in sitting position, 15- was 15.50 ± 1.82. While posttest FROGS subscale “occupational func-
minute deep relaxation in lying position. tioning” mean score of patients in control group was 3.08 ± 1.10, post-
test FROGS subscale “occupational functioning” mean score of patients
RESULTS in experimental group was 3.58 ± 0.73. Posttest FROGS total mean
score of patients in control group was 35.00 ± 7.40; whereas posttest
Table 1 illustrates descriptive charactristics of control and experimen- FROGS total mean score of patients in experimental group was 6.28 ±
tal groups. Table 2 illustrates statistical methods. Table 3 illustrates yoga 5.71. The difference between posttest FROGS subscale and total mean
practise program. Table 4 illustrates comparison of pretest and posttest scores of patients in control and experimental groups was found to be
FROGS subscale and total mean scores of patients in control group. statistically significant (p b 0.05).
It was determined that FROGS total mean score of patients in control
group was 36.20 ± 8.40 in pretest and 35.00 ± 7.40 in posttest. A de-
crease in posttest FROGS total mean score of patients in control group DISCUSSION
was found. The difference between pretest and posttest FROGS subscale
and total mean scores of patients in control group was not statistically In this study, the effect of yoga on functional remission level was ex-
significant (p N 0.05). amined and results were discussed with relevant literature.
Table 5 illustrates comparison of pretest and posttest FROGS It was observed in the study that there was an increase in posttest
subscale and total mean scores of patients in experimental group. FROGS subscale and total mean scores of patients in experimental
FROGS total mean score of patients in experimental group was group compared to control group. The difference between mean scores
36.56 ± 6.39 in pretest and 46.28 ± 5.71 in posttest. The difference was statistically significant (p b 0.05). Based on this result, it can be
between pretest and posttest FROGS subscale and total mean scores of asserted that functional remission level of patients in experimental
patients in experimental group was statistically significant (p b 0.05). group increased. Results of the study show a parallelism with informa-
Table 6 illustrates comparison of posttest FROGS subscale and mean tion in literature. In the study conducted by Viscegliaa and Lewis
total scores of patients in control and experimental groups. (2011) on 18 patients with schizophrenia for 8 weeks it was found
It was determined that posttest FROGS subscale and total mean that yoga practice positively increased functional remission level in pa-
scores of the patients in experimental group were higher than control tients with schizophrenia. Paikkatt and Singh (2012) determined that
group. While social functioning of posttest FROGS subscale mean scores yoga practice on 28 schizophrenic patients positively affected functional
of the patients in control group was 13.36 ± 3.38, social functioning of remission level by enhancing personal hygiene and daily living activities
posttest FROGS subscale mean scores in experimental group was in patients with schizophrenia. Similarly, as a result of the study con-
16.76 ± 2.38. While posttest FROGS subscale “health and treatment” ducted by Jayaram et al. (2013) on 43 schizophrenic patients it was
mean score of patients in control group was 7.76 ± 2.11, posttest found that there were an increase in social functioning level and an im-
FROGS subscale “health and treatment” mean score of patients in exper- provement in doing daily living skills in yoga applied group compared
imental group was 10.44 ± 1.57. While posttest FROGS subscale “daily to group to which yoga was not applied. In the study conducted by
living skills” mean score of control group was 10.80 ± 2.85, posttest Manjunath and Varambally (2013) with 88 patients with schizophrenia
FROGS subscale “daily living skills” mean score of experimental group it was found that yoga practice increased awareness of patients regard-
ing the disease and power of coping with side effects of treatment and
reduced positives symptoms like change in thoughts and behaviors
Table 4 and negative symptoms such as social withdrawal, decrease in willingly
Comparison of Pretest and Posttest FROGS Subscale and Total Mean Scores of Patients in performed actions. Results made us think that yoga was effective in in-
Control group.
creasing functional remission level.
Scale (n = 50) FROGS Test value and Even a little decrease in FROGS subscale and total mean scores of pa-
Significance tients in control group was determined in posttest compared to pretest.
Pretest Posttest
However, the difference between mean scores was not statistically sig-
X ± SD X ± SD Test p
nificant (p N 0.05). Studies show similarity with the results of the study.
Social Functioning 14.84 ± 3.86 13.36 ± 3.3 t = 0.641 N0.05
In a study conducted by Manjunath and Varambally (2013), on schizo-
Health and Treatment 8.56 ± 2.10 7.76 ± 2.11 t = −0.355 N0.05
Daily Living Skills 9.72 ± 2.46 10.80 ± 2.85 t = −1.632 N0.05 phrenic patients, it was determined that no functional remission level
Occupational Functioning* 3.08 ± 1.10 3.08 ± 1.10 -- -- increased in posttest in control group compared to pretest. In a study
FROGS TOTAL 36.20 ± 8.40 35.00 ± 7.40 t = 1.470 N0.05 conducted by Jayaram et al. (2013) on schizophrenic patients, it was
*Comparison was not made since mean score of occupational functional, which is a FROGS found that there was no change in social functioning and functional
subscale was the same in pretest and posttest. remission level in posttest in control group compared to pretest.

Please cite this article as: Kavak, F., & Ekinci, M., The Effect of Yoga on Functional Recovery Level in Schizophrenic Patients, Archives of Psychiatric
Nursing (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.07.010
6 F. Kavak, M. Ekinci / Archives of Psychiatric Nursing xxx (2016) xxx–xxx

Table 5 decrease the dose of medication used by enhancing its efficacy and
Comparison of pretest and posttest FROGS Subscale and Total Mean Scores of Patients in thus its use in patients with schizophrenia as complementary treatment
Experimental group.
created a positive effect. As a result of a similar study on patients with
Scale (n = 50) FROGS Test value and schizophrenia, Gaiswinkler, Unterrainer, and Fink (2015) found that
Significance yoga practice raised awareness in patients and increased functional re-
Pretest Posttest
mission level by decreasing general symptoms of the disease. In this re-
X ± SD X ± SD Test p
gard, it can be concluded that yoga practice is important for providing
Social Functioning 14.02 ± 2.64 16.76 ± 2.08 t = −15.012 b0.05
an increase in functional remission level of patients with schizophrenia.
Health and Treatment 8.68 ± 1.99 10.44 ± 1.57 t = −9.811 b0.05
Daily Living Skills 10.78 ± 2.08 15.50 ± 1.82 t = −22.623 b0.05
Occupational Functioning 3.08 ± 0.60 3.58 ± 0.73 t = −5.403 b0.05
FROGS TOTAL 36.56 ± 6.39 46.28 ± 5.71 t = −20.366 b0.05 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In the study, it was determined that yoga practice caused an increase
in FROGS subscale and total mean scores of patients in experimental
group. The difference between mean scores was statistically significant
(p b 0.05). This result confirms hypothesis of the study ‘Yoga,
applied to the patients with schizophrenia, increases their functional
remission level’.
The studies revealed that yoga increased functional remission level.
In the study conducted by Behere et al. (2011) on 44 schizophrenic pa-
tients, it was found that there was an increase in social functioning level
in patients practicing yoga compared to those not. Verma and Basu
(2011) determined that yoga practice in patients with schizophrenia
was effective in accepting disease, reducing general symptoms of the
disease, and developing interpersonal relations of the patients. In the
study conducted by Cramer, Lauche, and Haller (2014) on schizophrenic
patients, an increase was found in daily living skills in yoga applied
group compared to group to which yoga was applied. In the study
Vancampfort, Hent, and Knapen (2011) concluded that yoga resulted
in an increase in coping with stress and patients felt healthier them-
selves. In the study conducted by Duraiswamy, Thirthalli, and Nagendra
(2007) on 61 schizophrenic patients for 15 days, it was found that func-
tional remission level increased in yoga applied group compared to
group to which was applied. As a result of a study conducted by Field
(2011) on schizophrenic patients, it was found that yoga practice
caused an improvement in daily activities such as decrease in sleep
problem, a recovery of nutrition, a decrease in depressive mood, and
an increase in functional remission level. Gangadhar and Varambally
(2011) determined in the study that yoga applied to schizophrenic pa-
tients for 2 weeks decreased depressive symptoms, increased compli-
ance to treatment, reduced symptoms of disorder, and could be used
as complementary treatment in psychiatric practices due to these rea-
sons. In the study conducted by Ikai, Suzuki, Uchida, and Saruta
(2014) on 150 schizophrenic patients it was found that positive symp-
toms like disturbed thoughts and behaviors and negative symptoms
such as autism, social withdrawal, decrease in willingly performed ac-
tions reduced in yoga applied group compared to group to which yoga
was not applied. Ikai et al. (2014) also determined that yoga caused to
Table 6
Comparison of posttest FROGS Subscale and Total Mean Scores of patients in control and
experimental groups.
Scale Control Experimental
Group Group
(n = 50) (n = 50)
X ± SD X ± SD
Social Functioning 13.36 ± 3.38 16.76 ± 2.38
Health and Treatment 7.76 ± 2.11 10.44 ± 1.57
Daily Living Skills 10.80 ± 2.85 15.50 ± 1.82
Occupational Functioning 3.08 ± 1.10 3.58 ± 0.73
FROGS TOTAL 35.00 ± 7.40 46.28 ± 5.71
The following results were obtained from the study conducted to de-
termine the effect of yoga on functional remission level in patients with
schizophrenia and as quasi-experimental model with pretest-posttest
control group: The difference between pretest and posttest FROGS sub-
scale and total mean scores of patients in control group was not statisti-
cally significant, posttest FROGS subscale and total mean scores of
patients in experimental group were higher than control group, the dif-
ference between pretest and posttest FROGS subscale and total mean
scores of patients in experimental group was statistically significant.
Consequently; yoga was effective in increasing functional remission
level and yoga may use complementary method in nursing practise. In
order to increase functional remission level of schizophrenic patients,
it can be recommended; To apply yoga to patients with schizophrenia
in addition to medication, to provide yoga education to nurses working
in CMHCs, to use yoga in nursing care to be provided to patients with
schizophrenia, to add yoga into daily activity program of CMHCs, to
conduct similar studies in different geographical regions and with
broader sample groups in order to use yoga as a standard in patients
with schizophrenia.
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Please cite this article as: Kavak, F., & Ekinci, M., The Effect of Yoga on Functional Recovery Level in Schizophrenic Patients, Archives of Psychiatric
Nursing (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.07.010