Training of Social-Cognitive Functions - New Approaches towards the Avoidance of Psychosocial Disabilities in Schizophrenia

Abstracts Impairments in social cognitive processes are present across the course of schizophrenia despite clinically efficacious traditional treatment and contribute to poor functional outcome. Thus, during the last decade specialised social cognitive remediation programmes have been developed, which achieve improvements in social cognition with large effect sizes. In contrast, remediation targeting basic cognition seems neither necessary nor sufficient for such improvements. Associated with improved social cognitive performance, first studies also hint to improved social functioning. Although only moderate in effect size, these improvements are still somewhat larger than those described for basic cognition training and social skills training. In the case that such promising effects can be replicated and enhanced, in future social-cognitive remediation may become a valuable complement to traditional treatment in schizophrenia.