Intervention Programs Focusing on Social Cognition in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Social cognitive functions make it possible to correctly recognize and interpret the emotions and mental states of others in the social environment, to understand their intentions correctly and to react accordingly. Therefore, these functions arecritical for healthy social interactions and professional success in human life. Social cognitive functions are impaired in many psychiatric and neurological diseases and this impairment negatively affects almost all areas of patients' lives, albeit in different dimensions. According to research findings revealing the relationship between social cognition and social functioning, social cognition should be one of the treatment targets for many diseases. Recently, there has been increasing interest in interventions that target the improvement of these functions. In this article, these training programs, research findings and assessment tools used in these studies are discussed in the specific case of schizophrenia.