Evaluation of social skills training in reducing negative symptoms in patients with refractory schizophrenia

• Grant number: 09/13934-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2010
• End date: January 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Psychological Treatment and Prevention
• Principal Investigator: Helio Elkis
• Grantee: Helio Elkis
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

A great number of positive symptoms can be improved with an antipsychotic treatment. However, a subgroup of patients present a predominance of persistent negative symptoms that do not respond to medical treatment, such as blunted affect , emotional and social withdrawal. Evidence has shown that patients with schizophrenia present a soft brain structure alteration that explains the deficit in perception, critical judgment, cognition and social skills. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of Social Skills Training on negative symptoms in patients with refractory schizophrenia through a unicentric, randomized, single-blind controlled study with the duration of a year, including, follow up. This study will be conducted in two groups: one group will receive social skills training (N=46) and a control group (N=46) will attend the same number of sessions, but without intervention of the therapists. Psychiatric, psychological and neuropsychological aspects will be evaluated at baseline, after 20 weeks and 6 months after the end of the intervention. The scales that will be used for the psychiatric assessments are: PANSS (reduction of 20% in the negative subscales), CGI, CALGARY, SDS, and PSP. The scales that will be used for psychological assessment are: IHS and SDI. The neuropsychological assessment will have groups of scales to measure: Attention, Memory, Executive Functions, Estimated Intellectual Efficiency and a ToM. For statistics, ANOVA will be used, for data of repeated measures and clinical efficiency measures will also be calculated as well as the effect size and number needed to treat. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ELKIS, HELIO; SCEMES, SILVIA; SAVOIA, MARIANGELA GENTIL; DEL PRETTE, ZILDA; MESTRINER, PAULO; DA SILVA, ALINE ROBERTA. Social dysfunction and skills in schizophrenia: relationship with treatment response and severity of psychopathology. ARCHIVES OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY, v. 43, n. 5, p. 107-111, SEP-OCT 2016. (09/13934-6)

KAYO, MONICA; SCEMES, SILVIA; SAVOIA, MARIANGELA GENTIL; BICHUETTE, ALICE; ABREU, ANA CLAUDIA; DA SILVA, EMILY PEREIRA; BARIA, PATRICIA; PIOVACCARI, VICTORIA; PETRECHE, BEATRIZ; BRESSAN, RODRIGO AFFONSECA; et al. A randomized controlled trial of social skills training for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia with predominantly negative symptoms. PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH, v. 287, MAY 2020. (09/13934-6)