Description

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.