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). 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