OBJECTIVES: This study aims at (1) presenting the main difficulties in the application of the integrated psychological therapy (IPT) program for schizophrenia developed in Germany; and (2) documenting the strategies used to adapt this technique to the Brazilian reality. METHOD: Qualitative approach with data analysis through the examination of the contents of patients' verbalizations in discussion groups carried out after IPT therapy sessions with three groups of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder diagnosis, according to DSM-IV. These patients came from three different institutions that work with IPT: Instituto de Capacitação e Reorientação Ocupacional (Capacitation and Occupational Rehabilitation Institute), Centro de Atenção Psicossocial (Center for Psychosocial Care) at Hospital das Clínicas de Porto Alegre, and Centro de Atenção Psicossocial (Center for Psychosocial Care) in Tubarão (SC, Brazil), including a total of 22 outpatients. RESULTS: The following categories were determined: repetition and monotony; difficulty in doing some exercises; lack of practical usefulness in doing some exercises; and need of knowing more about the disease. Positive aspects related to the technique were also reported by the patients. DISCUSSION: The results reveal very relevant aspects for the understanding of the outpatients' compliance to a treatment developed in a European country. Our findings suggest that cultural differences may interfere with the application of IPT in terms of its structure. However, improvement in functioning, as related by the outpatients, motivates us to continue searching for the adaptation of this technique to our patients' characteristics. Nevertheless, further studies, such as controlled clinical trials, are necessary to assess the effectiveness of the IPT adaptation to Brazilian patients.
Schizophrenia; cognitive-behavioral treatment; IPT; psychosocial rehabilitation
