In recent years, art therapies have been discussed for their positive effects on mental disorders. One such therapy, clay therapy, is being studied to examine its effect on the functional recovery and individual and social performance of schizophrenia patients undergoing pharmacological treatment.

Schizophrenia is a chronic illness that can manifest in various forms, ranging from symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations to functional impairments, and is often characterised by relapses.

The care of people with schizophrenia concerns all sectors of society, including families, healthcare professionals, and organisations providing psychosocial support. The treatment of schizophrenia is of great importance due to its potential for early onset and its status as one of the most common psychiatric disorders leading to functional impairment.

While pharmacological treatments support a large part of the treatment process, the effect of art therapy on preventing disability and treatment compliance and disease awareness is the subject of current studies. Clay therapy, a component of art therapy, has been used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, especially in recent years. Studies have highlighted the therapeutic aspects of clay. When examining the therapeutic properties of clay, it is seen to provide benefits in the following areas:

• Facilitating the expression of emotions,
• Bringing unconscious material to the surface,
• Facilitating rich and deep expression,
• Facilitating verbal communication,
• Concretisation and symbolisation. This study aims to examine the effect of clay therapy on the functional recovery and individual and social performance of schizophrenia patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia,
• Being aged 18 or over,
• Having completed at least primary school education,
• Having achieved treatment compliance,
• Currently undergoing pharmacological treatment,
• Being in remission,
• Having attended the Community Mental Health Centre regularly over the past year,
• Having agreed to participate in the study
• Scoring 20 points or higher on the Mini Mental State Examination

Exclusion Criteria:

• Being under 18 years of age,
• Not having an education,
• Not having a diagnosis of schizophrenia,
• Not adhering to treatment,
• Not taking pharmacological treatment regularly,
• Being in an acute attack/active phase,
• Lacking insight

While the conventional treatment group continues to receive routine treatment, the experimental group will receive clay therapy sessions in addition to treatment, and the outcome assessments will be conducted by a researcher who is unaware of the group distribution.