Attention Impairment in the Accomplishment of Cares with Personal Devices – Glasses - in Individuals with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Cognitive deficits, such as attention disorders, affect about 98% of individuals with schizophrenia, very important aspect in determining the level of disability. It often represents a major factor of dysfunction than the symptoms of schizophrenia. The ability to pay attention is relevant because of the direct relation with quality of life and social, functional and professional performance of individuals. Recovery is not only achieved by controlling symptoms, but overall with the cognitive recovery. Considering that those deficits directly interfere in the performance of activities that influence in individual's autonomy, it was opted to verify the impact of attention deficit in activities of daily living (ADL) performance; personal devices care - glasses. Activities of Daily Living are considered important in all the modes of health care in Occupational Therapy. The recovery of ADL contributes in a significant and productive way to the quality of life. With the purpose of discussion theory and practice of these aspects, a bibliographic study was done. Furthermore a field research was carried out in which two questionnaires were used: "Care with glasses" (from the author, 2009) and "Attention questionnaire" [1], these were applied in two individuals with schizophrenia that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results point that, though attention deficits were present in these individuals, they not interfere significantly in ADL's, and not influence the performance in personal devices care -glasses. Even more, 20% of the people in this survey must use glasses by medical prescription, though they do not use them.