226. A study on the intervention effect of fun and engaging mathematics teaching on schizophrenia IN college students

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is a common severe mental disorder, with an incidence rate of approximately 0.35%-0.48% among university students in China. It often manifests as disordered thinking and cognitive impairment, severely impacting academic performance and social functioning. Current clinical treatment primarily relies on medication, which effectively controls positive symptoms but has limited effect on improving negative symptoms and restoring cognitive function. Engaging mathematics teaching methods, by incorporating gamified and relatable elements, lower the learning threshold, stimulate participation, and develop logical thinking, providing a non-pharmacological intervention approach for this condition. Methods Sixty patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at a university in 2022-2023 were randomly divided into an intervention group (15 males and 15 females, mean age 20.9 ± 2.3 years) and a control group (16 males and 14 females, mean age 21.3 ± 2.1 years). The control group received routine drug treatment plus weekly psychological support, while the intervention group received additional fun math lessons three times a week for 45 minutes each time for 12 weeks. The lessons included number games and logic puzzles. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) were used to assess the intervention effect. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Independent samples t- tests were used for comparisons between groups, and paired t-atests were used for comparisons within groups. p<.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Before the intervention, there were no statistically significant differences in the total PANSS score and the number of correct WCST classifications between the two groups (p>.05). After 12 weeks, both groups showed significant improvements compared to before the intervention, with the intervention group showing better results than the control group (p<.001). The total PANSS score in the intervention group decreased by 14.3 points compared to before the intervention, while the control group only decreased by 2.3 points, indicating that engaging math teaching can help alleviate patients' mental symptoms. Simultaneously, the number of correct WCST classifications in the intervention group increased by 10.2 compared to before the intervention, while the control group only increased by 3.4, indicating a more significant effect on improving patients' cognitive flexibility and executive function. Discussion The results show that engaging math instruction combined with conventional treatment has a positive effect on symptom improvement and cognitive function enhancement in college students with schizophrenia. However, the study has limitations such as a small sample size and a short intervention period. Future research could expand the sample size and extend the follow-up period to further verify the long-term effectiveness of the intervention; and further analyze the impact of factors such as patient age, disease duration, and symptom type on the intervention effect.