title: [Social skills training in severe mental illness--is it effective?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report about existing evidence of effectiveness of social skills training for severely mentally ill adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic electronic and manual literature search for systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials (RCTs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Social skills training is a widely used intervention for people with severe mental illness. We identified four reviews and seven RCTs demonstrating the efficacy and effectiveness of social skills training. Results suggest that patients would benefit from trainings by improving social skills and social functioning. There are ambiguous results regarding other outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with severe mental illness should be provided with social skills training, if necessary, combined with cognitive remediation. Those techniques are required which actively support the generalization of positive achievements into patients' natural environments.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Sozialmedizin, Arbeitsmedizin und Public Health, ISAP, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig. Uta.Guehne@medizin.unileipzig.de
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gühne
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weinmann
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Steffi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods; D019090:Case Management; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011340:Problem Solving; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012381:Role Playing; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome