Social Skills Training Flashcards
Evaluation
SST is effective in increasing patients ability, comfort and assertiveness in social situations.
One criticism is that training does not generalise to real life and was not durable.
Skills more relevant to everyday life show more favourable results.
These results can last more than 2 years.
Effectiveness can be improved with booster sessions and monitoring.
however monitoring the level of effectiveness is difficult as few systematic assessments have been carried out.
Can be difficult to evaluate the social and community functioning of schizos in daily life.
Intense and controlling.
Seems unlikely that SST will be very effective unless cognitive skills are also targeted.
Concept of SST
Aims to equip schizos with better social skills and social competence.
Very specific and active therapy that uses techniques such as modelling, reinforcement, role playing and practice.
Highly structured, usually in a class setting with 1/2 trainers to 5/10 patients.
Sessions last for about 45-90 minutes and are held 1 to 5 times a week.
Can include a token economy system where the patient is rewarded for conforming to social norms.
Shepherd 1977
Failed to find any improvements in intersectional skills following an SST programme when he assessed the social functioning of patients across a number of naturalistic settings, using independent observers.
