title: Efficacy of a social cognition training program for schizophrenic patients: a pilot study.
abstract: Psychosocial functioning impairment is recognized as a core feature of schizophrenia. Numerous studies have assessed the process that may underlie this impairment. In the last years, one of these processes that has been studied more is social cognition, which has been proposed as a mediator variable between neurocognition and functional outcome. Social cognition includes the subdomains of emotion recognition and social perception, and in recent years several authors have developed diverse training programs in these areas. The purpose of the present article is to assess the efficacy of the Social Cognition Training Program, a program that includes emotion recognition training and social perception training. The sample was made up of 14 outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to CIE-10 criteria, randomly divided into two groups: experimental and control. All patients were assessed before and after the training program. Cognitive and psychopathological variables, social functioning, emotion recognition and social perception performance were assessed. Results suggest improvement in social perception and interpretation in the experimental group, in comparison with the control group, but not in emotion recognition. No significant correlations were obtained between social cognition training and other variables tested.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Rehabilitación Psicosocial Padre Menni, Santander, Spain. crpsant@mennisant.com
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gil Sanz
authors.forename: Marián
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diego Lorenzo
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bengochea Seco
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arrieta Rodríguez
authors.forename: Ismael
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lastra Martínez
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sánchez Calleja
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvarez Soltero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012938:Social Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014796:Visual Perception