Effectiveness of a Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Program for Treatment-Resistant Psychotic Patients in a Forensic Psychiatric Setting: A Comparative Study

Forensic psychiatric patients with treatment-resistant psychotic symptoms often experience persistent cognitive, functional, and social deficits, posing significant challenges to rehabilitation. Traditional approaches may not adequately address these complex needs, highlighting the importance of innovative, multidisciplinary interventions. This study employs a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-month multidisciplinary rehabilitation program integrating psychodynamic group therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and cognitive stimulation compared to standard rehabilitation (physiotherapy and occupational therapy). A total of 20 patients are divided into an intervention group (n=10) and a control group (n=10) using convenience sampling from the forensic psychiatric department in Al Masarra Hospital. Data is collected using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to assess psychotic symptoms and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to evaluate cognitive function, administered at baseline and post-intervention. Data is analyzed using descriptive statistics (median, interquartile range) and non-parametric tests, including the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test for within-group comparisons and the Mann-Whitney U Test for between-group comparisons. Effect sizes are calculated using Cliff's Delta to assess the practical significance of the findings. The null hypothesis states that there will be no significant difference in PANSS and MoCA scores between the intervention and control groups post-intervention. If the null hypothesis is rejected, the findings will provide evidence for integrating creative and psychotherapeutic interventions into forensic psychiatric rehabilitation, offering a scalable model for similar settings.