Develop a Novel Occupational Training Program for Schizophrenia Patients Based on Virtual Reality Techniques

Develop a Novel Occupational Training Program for Schizophrenia Patients Based on Virtual Reality Techniques

Establish a novel vocational training program and test its validity in a pilot study.

40 schizophrenia patients will be recruited to join the virtual reality based vocational training program, the training effect will be compared by interview skills and problem solving before and after the training.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Having a diagnosis of schizophrenia based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -5th version
• Aged between 20 and 55 years.
• Motivated to have a job.
• Having a full-scale IQ > 70 on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-version IV.
• Having a PANSS positive scale < 70, indicating a stable condition during the illness course.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Comorbid with other major psychiatric disorders (i.e., bipolar disorders) or neurological diseases.
• Substance abuse within one year.
• Visual impairment and/or hearing impairment that would preclude participation in the VR-based training program.