Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Improving Social Functioning in People With Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious mental condition that affects approximately 1.1% of adults in the
United States. People with schizophrenia experience reality perception impairments, which
most commonly manifest as hallucinations, extreme paranoia, social withdrawal, and
disordered thinking. Deficits in social functioning are a core feature of schizophrenia. In
an effort to improve social functioning, there has been growing interest in identifying
factors that underlie psychosocial impairments. One such identified factor has been
neurocognition, but treatments that target solely cognitive processes do not always help
overall social functioning. Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT), a group-based
treatment that aims to improve both processing social information and functioning, may be an
effective treatment for enhancing the social skills of people with schizophrenia. This study
will compare the effectiveness of SCIT versus treatment as usual (TAU) in helping people
with schizophrenia improve their social cognition and social functioning.

Participation in this single-blind study will last 11 months. All potential participants
will undergo initial screening, involving the completion of a few brief tasks testing social
functioning. Eligible participants will then be randomly assigned to receive SCIT plus TAU
or TAU alone. Participants assigned to receive SCIT will attend twenty 1-hour weekly group
sessions over 5 months. During these sessions, participants will learn ways to manage
emotions, work through problems, and integrate into social situations. Participants assigned
to TAU alone will meet with their case managers and healthcare provider on an as-needed
basis. All participants will undergo assessments of social cognition, social functioning,
and psychotic symptoms prior to treatment, immediately post-treatment, and 6 months after
treatment. Each assessment will last 3 hours and will include interviews, questionnaires,
and a variety of tasks testing social skills. Researchers will also contact a family member
or significant other about the participant's social functioning at the same three assessment
times noted above.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Meets DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, based on the
Structured Interview of DSM-IV patient version (SCID-P)

Exclusion Criteria:

- Meets current criteria for substance dependence, based on the SCID-P

- Meets criteria for metal retardation (e.g., has an IQ of less than 80)

- History of brain injuries

- Difficulties interacting with others, based on ratings on items from the Social
Functioning Scale that tap interactional skills