Improvement In Social Competence Research Articles

La Competencia Social en los Adolescentes. Efectividad de un Programa de Intervención Educativa sobre las Actitudes Sociales de los Estudiantes

The study has as objectives to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program on the production of significant improvements in social competence, as associated with social attitudes, in secondary school students from Madrid in 2007, and to verify whether there are any significant differences regarding gender. This was implemented a quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent control group and pretest and posttest measures; sample of 392 students between 12-13 years of age from 6 schools in Madrid, the Attitudes and Social Cognitive Strategies questionnaire (AECS) as an instrument of measurement; analysis using mixed effects ANOVA. The program showed statistically significant differences (p 0.001) in 89% of the variables, with the sex variable having no effects. We found limitations associated with lack of monitoring, the non-random sample and use a single instrument of measure.

Evidenzbasierte Behandlungselemente in der Rehabilitation von Patienten mit Depression – Eine Literaturübersicht

In recent years, the importance of guidelines has increased continuously. This development also occurs in the field of rehabilitative health care, where process guidelines are being designed for various indicational groups to ensure quality standards and improvements. The primary goal of this paper is to collect and evaluate the evidence for various treatment options for depressive disorders in order to establish a basis for the current development of a process guideline for the rehabilitation of patients with depressive disorders. In order to identify evidence based treatment elements, first a comprehensive investigation of national and international guidelines was conducted. Thirteen selected guidelines were then assessed with regard to aspects of methodological quality and evidence-based treatment elements. In a further step, literature searches were conducted for residual treatment elements, which were identified on the basis of the Classification of Therapeutic Services (KTL) 2007. For the literature search, a hierarchical approach was chosen: At first, meta-analyses and systematic reviews were viewed. In case when there was still a lack of evidence for specific, potentially relevant treatment elements, the search was expanded to the level of primary studies. All selected reviews and primary studies then underwent a standardized assessment especially regarding methodological quality and evidence grades were allocated to treatments. Thereby, the following treatment elements with an adequate level of evidence were identified: Psychotherapeutic interventions, marital/couples/family therapy and counselling, inclusion of family members, psycho education and exercise, problem solving therapy, guided self-help, and behavioural activation treatments. On the basis of this complementary literature search, various other evident interventions could be identified within the following areas: relaxation techniques, improvement of social competence, occupational therapy, art therapies (music, movement/dance therapies), body-oriented therapies and massage therapy. In summary, using this hierarchical approach, it was possible to assign different levels of evidence to the various treatment elements for depression. Based on the results of this literature search, a next step in the development of a process guideline for the rehabilitative treatment of patients with depression will be the integration of experts in the field of rehabilitation.

Improvement in social competence in patients with schizophrenia: a pilot study using a performance‐based measure using virtual reality

The objective of this study was to explore the possibility of the use of Virtual Reality Functional Skills Assessment (VRFSA) in a future regular clinical trial, as well as to report a preliminary result about effectiveness of atypical antipsychotics to social competence in schizophrenia. We developed the VRFSA that measured subjects' performances automatically and used analogue scale rather than Likert scale. Twenty-four female patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 15 healthy females were recruited. This was a 6-week, randomized, open-label, and flexible dose study, and 2 treatments (baseline versus post-treatment) x 2 skills phases (receptive versus expressive) x 2 patient groups (aripiprazole versus risperidone) analysis of variance was used in the final analysis. There was a significant difference in the VRFAS between the patients and the healthy subjects (p < 0.05). Eighteen patients were included in the final analysis. We found larger treatment effect than those found in previous studies, and significant treatment x skills phase x group interaction effect on the VRFAS. Our results suggest that the VRFAS is strongly sensitive to changes in social competence and thus especially beneficial in short-term clinical trials. In addition, atypical antipsychotics can improve social competence and differentially improve receptive skills and expressive skills in schizophrenia.

Universal Social Competence Promotion Programme in School: Does it Work for Children with Low Socio-Economic Background?

The purpose of this study on which this paper reports was to examine the effects of a universal social competence promotion programme on children from families characterised by low socioeconomic status (SES). The study employed an age cohort design. The sample consisted of 1,153 students in fifth to seventh grade from 11 schools in Norway. Data were collected by questionnaires at baseline (2004) and after one year of programme implementation (2005). The programme resulted in significantly greater gains for low SES students on some but not all of the outcomes measured. Low SES students showed greater improvement in social competence, school performance and satisfaction with life than their medium to high SES peers. The finding that a universal programme has beneficial effects for children who report low socio-economic status is promising, since those children show a cluster of psychosocial disadvantages.

Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological treatments for children with social anxiety

Childhood social anxiety is associated with significant social and academic impairment. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the efficacy of two major treatments for social anxiety disorders in children: cognitive-behavioral therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug treatment. Treatment studies in the literature were evaluated using meta-analytic techniques to compare pre- and post-treatment measures of social anxiety symptoms, general anxiousness, social competency, and impairment. Results indicate that the core symptoms of social anxiety and impairment were reduced by both cognitive-behavioral treatment (ES=0.86 and 1.56) and SSRI treatment (ES=1.30 and 2.29), respectively. Similarly, peripheral symptoms of general anxiousness were reduced by both cognitive-behavioral treatment (ES=0.75) and SSRI treatment (ES=1.29). Finally, both cognitive-behavioral (ES=0.68) and SSRI treatment (ES=0.68) resulted in moderate improvements in social competence. Implications and the limitations of these meta-analytic findings are discussed with respect to the evidence-based intervention movement.

Repeated measures in case studies relating social competence and weight loss in two obese adolescents.

In individual behavior therapy two clients were evaluated using behavior categories created by the therapist. Both clients were observed to improve in terms of social competence. One demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between improvement of social competence and weight loss during treatment (16 sessions) and lost weight. The other required longer treatment (40 sessions), but also demonstrated the same tendency of results at the end of intervention. Based on this evaluation, it was postulated that behavior therapy targeted to issues of social competence could be part of treatment for weight loss, and be combined with other therapeutic modalities. Obesity is a complex problem whose origins are based on a number of interrelated factors. Inadequate emotional response, and social and psychological difficulties are invariably cited as part of the general problematic that involves obesity; these include rejection by a peer group, dating difficulties, isolation, depression, aggressiveness, anxiety, and low self-esteem. All these aspects have great importance for the healthy development of an individual, especially during adolescence, and a satisfactory and adjusted performance in these social fields presupposes the development of certain social abilities. Recently, a number of avenues of research in behavior therapy have dealt with questions associated with relations among variables and among responses. Functional analysis is the instrument used for deciding which behaviors should be targeted during intervention, since it is common for the presented complaint to be part of a complex of interrelated behaviors - a response class - which will be discovered during therapy, as well as its function and incompatibilities (Meyer, 1997). In the case of overeating, functional analysis must indicate the behavioral function, in other words, what are the consequences reinforcing the overeating. It also has to identify if there are any other behaviors in the behavioral repertoire of the individual that have a similar function to overeating but that are not harmful to the individual. If not, new behaviors may need to be installed. These other behaviors can involve directly or indirectly a variety of social abilities and would be then differentially reinforced. Thus, if the generic function of overeating is the avoidance of difficult social situations for the client, the procedure derived from this analysis may be educating or strengthening behaviors that may transform social approaches in pleasant occasions, instead of feared. If the main maintaining consequence of excessive caloric ingestion is the attention from the family, the change strategy which derives from this

Improvement in Social Competence With Short-Term Atypical Antipsychotic Treatment: A Randomized, Double-Blind Comparison of Quetiapine Versus Risperidone for Social Competence, Social Cognition, and Neuropsychological Functioning

Objective: While neuropsychological test performance is correlated with social outcomes in patients with schizophrenia, there is little evidence to date that changes in neuropsychological performance are associated with changes in these outcomes. As part of an efficacy and tolerability study of atypical antipsychotics, the authors used a performance-based measure of social competence as a short-term outcome measure and examined the correlations between changes in social competence and improvements on neuropsychological tests. Method: Patients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive treatment with either quetiapine (dose range: 200–800 mg/day) or risperidone (dose range: 2–8 mg/day) for an 8-week period. Results: Of 673 patients initially randomized, 289 had baseline and endpoint neuropsychological and functional competence data. Scores on the performance-based measure of social competence significantly improved with both treatments, as did a number of aspects of neuropsychological performance. Improvements in several aspects of neuropsychological performance were correlated with the extent of improvement in social competence. There were no overall differences between the treatments in their impact on social competence and neuropsychological performance. Conclusions: Short-term treatment with both quetiapine and risperidone resulted in improvements in social competence, with these improvements associated with improvements on some of the neuropsychological measures. In addition to their clinical importance, these results support the use of performance-based competence assessments as outcome measures in clinical trials.

Improvement in Social Competence With Short-Term Atypical Antipsychotic Treatment: A Randomized, Double-Blind Comparison of Quetiapine Versus Risperidone for Social Competence, Social Cognition, and Neuropsychological Functioning

While neuropsychological test performance is correlated with social outcomes in patients with schizophrenia, there is little evidence to date that changes in neuropsychological performance are associated with changes in these outcomes. As part of an efficacy and tolerability study of atypical antipsychotics, the authors used a performance-based measure of social competence as a short-term outcome measure and examined the correlations between changes in social competence and improvements on neuropsychological tests. Patients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive treatment with either quetiapine (dose range: 200-800 mg/day) or risperidone (dose range: 2-8 mg/day) for an 8-week period. Of 673 patients initially randomized, 289 had baseline and endpoint neuropsychological and functional competence data. Scores on the performance-based measure of social competence significantly improved with both treatments, as did a number of aspects of neuropsychological performance. Improvements in several aspects of neuropsychological performance were correlated with the extent of improvement in social competence. There were no overall differences between the treatments in their impact on social competence and neuropsychological performance. Short-term treatment with both quetiapine and risperidone resulted in improvements in social competence, with these improvements associated with improvements on some of the neuropsychological measures. In addition to their clinical importance, these results support the use of performance-based competence assessments as outcome measures in clinical trials.

The Effect of Humorous Movies on Inpatients With Chronic Schizophrenia

We assessed the impact of humorous movies on psychopathology, anxiety, depression, anger, social functioning, insight, and therapeutic alliance in schizophrenia inpatients. Twenty-nine psychiatric inpatients in open wards participated in the study. The study group viewed humorous and the control group viewed neutral movies daily for 3 months. Participants were assessed before and after viewing movies with the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, Calgary Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2, the Multinomah Community Ability Scale, the Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire, and the Working Alliance Inventory. Reduced levels of psychopathology, anger, anxiety, and depression symptoms and an improvement in social competence were revealed in the study group. No changes were observed in treatment insight or working alliance. Video films are a practical and cost-efficient means of entertainment that seem to have a positive effect on patient morale, mood, and mental status.

Promoting Social Competence for Development of Rural Girl Child

The present study was conducted in rural Hisar. Social competence of rural preschool girls was assessed. Intervention programme was provided to these girls for a period of two months to promote their social competence. Results indicated that after exposure to intervention programme there was significant improvement in social competence of preschool aged rural girls. (authors)

Cognitive predictors of psychosocial functioning outcome in schizophrenia: A follow-up study of subjects participating in a rehabilitation program

The aims of this prospective study were to explore in subjects with psychosis participating in a rehabilitation program whether cognitive performances at baseline predicted (i) psychosocial functioning over a 15–16 month follow-up; (ii) improvement in psychosocial functioning over the rehabilitation program. Visuo-spatial tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) were administered to assess cognitive performance in 55 subjects with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who completed a rehabilitation program. The Multnomah Community Ability Scale (MCAS) was used to measure dimensions of community functioning. One subscale of the Client's Assessment of Strengths, Interests, and Goals (CASIG) provided a measure of subjective quality of life (QoL). Improvement was defined as a 15% or more increase in psychosocial scores between baseline and follow-up. Worse baseline sustained attention predicted better self-rated quality of life, and better baseline visual memory predicted better community functioning over the rehabilitation follow-up period, in particular, higher autonomy in activities of daily living, and less physical and psychiatric symptoms that could interfere with rehabilitation. Baseline cognitive performances predicted community functioning improvement during the follow-up period: visual memory predicted improvement in daily living autonomy and in social competence; sustained attention predicted improvement in behavioral problems (such as medication compliance, collaboration with treatment providers or impulse control) and social competence; planning performances predicted improvement in social competence. These cognitive functions could be specifically targeted in a rehabilitation program aimed at enhancing functioning in those particular dimensions.

Promoção de habilidades sociais em pré-escolares

Social skills promotion in the child's relationships, in a preventive level, provides the development of and improvement in social competence, resulting in greater adaptability to the social environment. This research aimed to verify the effectiveness of a preventive program of social skills development in children between 4 and 6 years old and their parents. The results reflect the performance of 9 children of both sexes, with age between 5 and 6 years. CBCL (Achenbach, 1991) was used as the analysis instrument, answered by parents about the children's behaviors, before and after the participation in the program. Based on this analysis, it was possible to observe that there is a statistical difference between CBCL results before and after intervention, indicating changes in parents' perception about their children's behaviors and the probable increase in behaviors that facilitate social interaction.