Group Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia

Treatment

DIAGNOSIS: Schizophrenia

TREATMENT: Group Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia

BRIEF SUMMARY

Basic premise: "Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterized by incoherent or illogical thoughts, bizarre behavior and speech, and delusions or hallucinations, such as hearing voices. Schizophrenia typically begins in early adulthood. Antipsychotic drugs aren’t the only treatment people with schizophrenia need. Along with medication, psychotherapy and support can help them regain their lives. SST uses the principles of behavior therapy to teach communication skills, assertiveness skills, and other skills related to disease management and independent living."
Essence of therapy: "SST uses the principles of behavior therapy to teach communication skills, assertiveness skills, and other skills related to disease management and independent living. SST is usually conducted in small groups that are ideally led by two co-therapists. Skills are broken down into several discrete steps. After reviewing the steps of the skill, the therapist models the skill by demonstrating a role play. Participants then do role-plays to learn and practice the skill. Therapists and group members provide constructive feedback to the individual after each role play and each participant is given an opportunity to practice the skill several times. Repeated practice and “overlearning” of skills are important aspects of SST. Duration, frequency, and exact content of SST interventions depends on the needs of the client(s) and the treatment setting. SST may be even more helpful when supplemented with community-based practice opportunities and support."

Schizophrenia (2022). APA.org. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/topics/schizophrenia

Social skills training (SST) for schizophrenia. (2016). Div12.org. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://div12.org/treatment/social-skills-training-sst-for-schizophrenia/

TREATMENT RESOURCES

TREATMENT MANUALS

Group therapy for people with mental retardation: The interactive–behavioral therapy model. In D. J. Wiener (Ed.), Beyond talk therapy: Using movement and expressive techniques in clinical practice (pp. 145–164) (Tomasulo, D. J.)

Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT): Group psychotherapy for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, clinician guide (treatments that work) (1st ed.) (Roberts, D. L., Penn, D. L., & Combs, D. R.)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

UCLA social and independent living skills modules (The Skills for Lifelong Empowerment)

SUPPORTING STUDIES

Burlingame, G. M., Svien, H, Hoppe, L., Hunt, I., & Rosendahl, J. (2020). Group therapy for schizophrenia: A meta-analysis. Psychotherapy, 57(2), 219-236.

https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000293

Daniels, L. (1998). A group cognitive-behavioral and process-oriented approach to treating the social impairment and negative symptoms associated with chronic mental illness. The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research, 7(2), 167-176. PMID: 9527960; PMCID: PMC3330494.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3330494/

Gómez, A. M., & Botella, L. (2007). Efecto de una intervención psicosocial sobre calidad de vida, estado sintomático y construcción del sí mismo en pacientes diagnosticados de esquizofrenia paranoide. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 7(2), 349-367.

https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=33717060007

Granholm, E., McQuaid, J. R., McClure, F. S., Auslander, L. A., Perivoliotis, D., Pedrelli, P., Patterson, T., & Jeste, D. V. (2005). A randomized, controlled trial of cognitive behavioral social skills training for middle-aged and older outpatients with chronic schizophrenia. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(3), 520-529.

https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.3.520

Lecomte, T., Leclerc, C., Corbière, M., Wykes, T., Wallace, C. J., & Spidel, A. (2008). Group cognitive behavior therapy or social skills training for individuals with a recent onset of psychosis? The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 196(12), 866-875.

https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0b013e31818ee231

Lecomte, T., Leclerc, C., & Wykes, T. (2012). Group CBT for early psychosis–Are there still benefits on year later? International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2), 309-321.

https://doi.org/10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.309

Liberman, R. P., & Kopelowicz, A. (2009). Training skills for illness self–management in the rehabilitation of schizophrenia. A Family–assisted Program for Latinos in California [La capacitación de habilidades para el autocontrol de la enfermedad en la rehabilitación de la esquizofrenia. Un programa de asistencia a la familia para la comunidad latina en California]. Salud Mental, 32(2), 93-105.

https://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?pid=S0185-33252009000200002&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en#note.

Patterson, T. L., McKibbin, C., Taylor, M., Goldman, S., Davila-Fraga, W., Bucardo, J., & Jeste, D. V. (2003). Functional Adaptation Skills Training (FAST): A pilot psychosocial intervention study in middle-aged and older patients with chronic psychotic disorders. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 11(1), 17-23.

https://doi.org/10.1097/00019442-200301000-00004

Roberts, D. L., Combs, D. R., Willoughby, M., Mintz, J., Gibson, C., Rupp, B., Penn, D. L (2014). A randomized, controlled trial of Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) for outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Br J Clin Psychol, 53(3), 281-298.

https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12044

Rus-Calafell, M., Gutiérrez-Maldonado, J., Ortega-Bravo, M., Ribas-Sabaté, J., & Caqueo-Urizar, A. (2013). A brief cognitive–behavioural social skills training for stabilised outpatients with schizophrenia: A preliminary study. Schizophrenia Research, 143(2-3), 327-336.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2012.11.014

Sato, S., Ikebuchi, E., Anzai, N., & Inoue, S. (2012). Effects of psychosocial program for preparing long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia for discharge from hospital: randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 66(6), 474-481.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1819.2012.02393.x

Valencia, M., Rascón, M. L., Juárez, F., & Murow, E. (2007). A psychosocial skills training approach in Mexican out-patients with schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine, 37(10), 1393-1402.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707000657

Valencia, M., Rascon, M. L., Juarez, F., Escamilla, R., Saracco, R., & Liberman, R. P. (2010). Application in Mexico of psychosocial rehabilitation with schizophrenia patients. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 73(3), 248-263.

https://doi.org/10.1521/psyc.2010.73.3.248