Best practices: The development of the Social Cognition and Interaction Training program for schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Psychiatr Serv. 2007 Apr;58(4):449-51. doi: 10.1176/ps.2007.58.4.449.

Abstract

This column describes the development of a treatment, the Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) program, a group-based intervention delivered weekly over a six-month period, with the purpose of improving both social cognition and social functioning among persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. SCIT comprises three phases: emotion training, figuring out situations, and integration. Initial pilot testing of 17 inpatients showed that SCIT was associated with improved emotion perception, improved theory of mind, and a reduced tendency to attribute hostile intent to others, with effect sizes being in the medium-large range. Although research is still in the early phases, SCIT is a potential best practice.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / psychology
  • Cognition Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Male
  • Personal Construct Theory
  • Pilot Projects
  • Psychotherapy, Group*
  • Schizophrenia / diagnosis
  • Schizophrenia / rehabilitation*
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*
  • Social Adjustment
  • Social Behavior Disorders / diagnosis
  • Social Behavior Disorders / psychology
  • Social Behavior Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • United States