Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T16:59:29.540Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Tackling Social Cognition in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Feasibility Trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2015

Rumina Taylor ,
Matteo Cella ,
Emese Csipke ,
Charles Heriot-Maitland ,
Caroline Gibbs  and
Til Wykes
Rumina Taylor*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
Matteo Cella
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
Emese Csipke
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
Charles Heriot-Maitland
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
Caroline Gibbs
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
Til Wykes
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
*
Reprint requests to Rumina Taylor, Clinical Psychologist, Department of Psychology PO 77, Henry Wellcome Building, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Social cognition difficulties in schizophrenia are seen as a barrier to recovery. Intervention tackling problems in this domain have the potential to facilitate functioning and recovery. Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) is a manual-based psychological therapy designed to improve social functioning in schizophrenia. Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a modified version of SCIT for inpatient forensic wards. The potential benefits of the intervention were also assessed. Method: This study is a randomized single blind controlled design, with participants randomized to receive SCIT (N = 21) or treatment as usual (TAU; N = 15). SCIT consisted of 8-week therapy sessions twice per week. Participants were assessed at week 0 and one week after the intervention on measures of social cognition. Feasibility was assessed through group attendance and attrition. Participant acceptability and outcome was evaluated through post-group satisfaction and achievement of social goals. Results: The intervention was well received by all participants and the majority reported their confidence improved. The SCIT group showed a significant improvement in facial affect recognition compared to TAU. Almost all participants agreed they had achieved their social goal as a result of the intervention. Conclusions: It is feasible to deliver SCIT in a forensic ward setting; however, some adaptation to the protocol may need to be considered in order to accommodate for the reduced social contact within forensic wards. Practice of social cognition skills in real life may be necessary to achieve benefits to theory of mind and attributional style.

Keywords

Social cognitionschizophreniasocial functioningforensicinpatient
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 44 , Issue 3 , May 2016 , pp. 306 - 317
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Addington, J., Saeedi, H. and Addington, D. (2006). Facial affect recognition: a mediator between cognitive and social functioning in psychosis? Schizophrenia Research, 85, 142–150.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Baruch, E., Balter, J. M., Steer, R. A. and Warman, D. M. (2004). A new instrument for measuring insight: the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. Schizophrenia Research, 68, 319–329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cella, M., Swan, S., Medin, E., Reeder, C. and Wykes, T. (2013). Metacognitive awareness of cognitive problems in schizophrenia: exploring the role of symptoms and self-esteem. Psychological Medicine, 5, 1–8.Google Scholar
Combs, D. R., Adams, S. D., Penn, D. L., Roberts, D., Tiegreen, J. and Stem, P. (2007). Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) for inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: preliminary findings. Schizophrenia Research, 91, 112–116.Google Scholar
Combs, D. R., Elerson, K., Penn, D. L., Tiegreen, J. A., Nelson, A., Ledet, S. N., et al. (2009). Stability and generalization of social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) for schizophrenia: six-month follow up results. Schizophrenia Research, 112, 196–197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Combs, D. R., Penn, D. L., Wicher, M. and Waldheter, E. (2007). The ambiguous intentions hostility questionnaire (AIHQ): a new measure for evaluating hostile social-cognitive biases in paranoia. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 12, 128–143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corcoran, R., Mercer, G. and Frith, C. (1995). Schizophrenia, symptomatology, and social inference: investigating “theory of mind” in people with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 17, 5–13.Google Scholar
Couture, S. M., Penn, D. L. and Roberts, D. L. (2006). The functional significance of social cognition in schizophrenia: a review. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 32 (suppl. 1), S44–S63.Google Scholar
Green, M. F., Oliver, B., Crawley, J. N., Penn, D. L. and Silverstein, S. (2005). Social cognition in schizophrenia: recommendations from the measurement and treatment research to improve cognition in schizophrenia new approaches conference. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 31, 882–887.Google Scholar
Gledhill, A., Lobban, F. and Sellwood, W. (1998). Group CBT for people with schizophrenia: a preliminary evaluation. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 26, 63–77.Google Scholar
Horan, W. P., Kern, R. S., Shokat-Fadai, K., Sergi, M. J., Wynn, J. K. and Green, M. F. (2009). Social cognitive skills training in schizophrenia: an initial efficacy study of stabilized outpatients. Schizophrenia Research, 107, 47–54.Google Scholar
Kay, S. R., Fiszbein, A. and Opler, L. A. (1987). The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 13, 261–276.Google Scholar
Kern, R. S., Glynn, S. M., Horan, W. P. and Marder, S. R. (2009). Psychosocial treatments to promote functional recovery in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 35, 347–361.Google Scholar
Kerr, S. L. and Neale, J. M. (1993). Emotion perception in schizophrenia: specific deficit or further evidence of generalized poor performance. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 312–318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, J. M., Warman, D. M. and Lysaker, P. H. (2010). Cognitive insight in non-psychiatric individuals and individuals with psychosis: an examination using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. Schizophrenia Research, 121, 39–45.Google Scholar
Moriarty, A., Jolley, S., Callanan, M. M. and Garety, P. (2012). Understanding reduced activity in psychosis: the roles of stigma and illness appraisals. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 47, 1685–1693.Google Scholar
National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2014). Psychosis and Schizophrenia in Adults: treatment and management, London: NICE.Google Scholar
Parker, S., Foley, S., Walker, P. and Dark, F. (2013). Improving the social cognitive deficits of schizophrenia: a community trial of social cognition and interaction training (SCIT). Australasian Psychiatry, 21, 346–351.Google Scholar
Penn, D. L., Roberts, D. L., Combs, D. and Sterne, A. (2007). The development of the social cognition and interaction training program for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Psychiatric Services, 58, 449–451.Google Scholar
Penn, D., Roberts, D. L., Munt, E. D., Silverstein, E., Jones, N. and Sheitman, B. (2005). A pilot study of social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 80, 357–359.Google Scholar
Pinkham, A. E., Penn, D. L., Green, M. F., Buck, B., Healey, K. and Harvey, P. D. (2014). The Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation study: results of the expert survey and RAND panel. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 40, 813–823.Google Scholar
Roberts, D. L. (2007). Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Social Cognition Intervention for outpatients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Chapel Hill: ProQuest Information and Learning Company.Google Scholar
Roberts, D. L., Kleinlein, P. and Stevens, B. (2012). An alternative to generating alternative interpretations in social cognitive therapy for psychosis. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 40, 491–495.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, D. L. and Penn, D. L. (2009). Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) for outpatients with schizophrenia: a preliminary study. Psychiatry Research, 166 (2–3), 141–147.Google Scholar
Roberts, D. L., Penn, D. L., Labate, D., Margolis, S. A. and Sterne, A. (2010). Transportability and feasibility of social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) in community settings. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 38, 35–47.Google Scholar
Roder, V., Mueller, D. R. and Schmidt, S. J. (2011). Effectiveness of integrated psychological therapy (IPT) for schizophrenia patients: a research update. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 37 (suppl. 2), S71–S79.Google Scholar
Schizophrenia Commission (2012). The Abandoned Illness: a report from the Schizophrenia Commission, London: Rethink Mental Illness.Google Scholar
Stain, H. J., Galletly, C. A., Clark, S., Wilson, J., Killen, E. A., Anthes, L., et al. (2012). Understanding the social costs of psychosis: the experience of adults affected by psychosis identified within the second Australian national survey of psychosis. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46, 879–889.Google Scholar
Tew, J., Ramon, S., Slade, M., Bird, V. and Le Boutillier, C. (2012). Social factors and recovery from mental health difficulties: a review of the evidence. British Journal of Social Work, 42, 443–460.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.