Social Problem-solving Skills Training Research Articles

The promise and practice of teaching social communication skills: A commentary on Abbot-Smith et al., 2023

In this commentary, I endorse Abbot-Smith and colleagues’ call for social conversation skills training and raise challenges to designing such efforts. One challenge is to identify a set of conversational skills that are essentially universally important insofar as what is appropriate and effective conversational behavior varies situationally and culturally. A second challenge is to identify meaningful outcomes for training and how they should be assessed. In considering these challenges, I discuss Social Problem-solving Skills Training, cultural variability in children’s conversational behavior, and governmental agencies’ standards for students’ conversational competence.

Effectiveness of Social Problem-Solving Skills Training on the Depression in Systolic Heart Failure Patients in Kermanshah

Background: Heart failure is common worldwide, and it is still expanding. Psychological factors such as depression are more effective on the consequences of this disease, which is necessary to seek a solution for controlling. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of social problem-solving skills training (SPSST) on depression in patients with heart failure. Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted on two groups of ten male patients with heart failure in Kermanshah, Iran, randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, ten one-hour sessions of SPSST were done. The Beck depression inventory (BDI-13) was completed three times before, after, and three months after the intervention in both groups. The data were analyzed in SPSS v. 23 with t-test and ANCOVA to compare the groups. Results: There was a significant difference in the depression scores of the intervention group in the post-test (P = 0.000) and follow-up (P = 0.003) than before the intervention. However, there was no significant difference in the depression scores of the control group in all stages (P > 0.05). Conclusions: SPSST could improve the depression of patients with heart failure and prevent its complications, which is recommended for controlling the depression of heart failure patients.

Social cognition and social problem solving skills training to improve job functioning and tenure in veterans with psychotic disorders.

Veterans with psychotic disorders often experience employment difficulties. Job tenure is highly variable with shorter tenure frequently tied to interpersonal difficulties in the workplace. The present study sought to address this problem by examining the efficacy of social cognition skills training (SCST) and social problem solving skills training (SPSST) interventions, implemented sequentially, and added to usual VA employment services (augmented vocational rehabilitation [VR]). Participants were 91 Veterans with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders who were recently enrolled in one of three types of VA employment services (incentive therapy, transitional work, supported employment), and randomized 1:1 to augmented VR versus control VR. Training for the augmented VR group included 12 weeks of SCST plus 6 weeks of work-related SPSST; training for the control VR group included a control intervention (symptom management training) matched in instructional format and length of training to the SCST and SPSST interventions. All participants received baseline and posttraining measures of social cognition. For those who got jobs, the primary work outcome measures were social skills work behavior and job tenure. Results showed a significant group x time interaction favoring the augmented VR group on measures of social cognition and social skills work behavior, but there were no significant differences in job tenure. The findings for workplace social skills support a promising new direction for enhancing work outcomes in this population; the null effect on job tenure may have been due to high job retention rates across the three types of employment service programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

P-153 - Effectiveness of muscle relaxation and social problem-solving skills training on decreasing anxiety

The research purpose is to assess the effectiveness of muscle relaxation and social problem-solving skills training on decreasing anxiety. The method was semi-experimental including pretest and post-test on the control group. The statistical population involved all the educational staff referred to the counseling centers in 2010, out of which a sample of 60 individuals who demonstrated a higher level of anxiety were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental and control groups and were then tested with the “Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire of Catell” . Results using covariance analysis indicated that the three mentioned methods were effective in decreasing the anxiety. There was no significant difference between social problem solving and incorporative one. Social problem solving skills was more effective than muscle relaxation in decreasing the anxiety however the incorporative method was the most effective of all. (F (2, 41) = 19/7P < 0/001). Overall, the three mentioned methods were significantly effective in decreasing the anxiety.

Alexithymia, empathic concern, goal management, and social problem solving in adult male prisoners

Social problem-solving skills training forms a major part of many offender treatment programmes. In this study, we explored the influences of alexithymia, empathic concern and goal management on social problem-solving skills in 79 adult male prisoners in an attempt to identify affective and cognitive factors relevant to offenders’ social problem-solving skills. Results showed that alexithymia was associated with less effective social problem solving, whereas empathic concern and perspective taking were associated with more effective social problem solving, but unexpectedly also with a Negative Problem Orientation. Persistence in goal attainment was associated with effective social problem-solving abilities, and inflexibility in adopting new strategies in the face of obstacles was associated with maladaptive problem-solving styles. Implications for developing social problem-solving interventions for offenders are presented.

Social Problem-Solving Skills Training: Does it Really Work?

The impact of a Social Problem-Solving Skills Training (SPSST) program was investigated with a sample of 105 juvenile offenders. The juveniles were assigned to the SPSST intervention condition ( n =58) or the wait-list control condition ( n =47). The mean age of juveniles in the intervention condition was 14.71 years (standard deviation=0.96) and the mean age of juveniles in the control condition was 14.50 years (standard deviation=1.28). As expected, juveniles in the SPSST intervention condition improved significantly on their aggressive behavior from pre-intervention to post-intervention compared with juveniles in the control condition. Findings will be discussed in the light of future research, and limitations of the study will be presented.

Social problem-solving skills training for incarcerated offenders. A treatment manual.

This article describes a social problem-solving skills intervention for incarcerated adult offenders. The program includes pragmatic, progressive skill building through the use of direct instructions, role-plays with performance feedback, modeling, behavior rehearsal, and positive reinforcement. In addition to these treatment components, the empirically derived approach employs standardized assessment measures to identify deficits and to evaluate treatment outcome. Assessment data are directly used to determine behavior change in such areas as conversational skills, positive and negative assertion, anger management, problem solving, empathy, and stress inoculation. Social skills training is included to modify verbal, nonverbal, and paralinguistic behavioral components. In addition, training elements related to anger reduction and stress management are utilized.

Training Social Problem‐solving Skill to Reduce Maladaptive Behaviours in Intellectual Disability Groups: The Influence of Individual Difference Factors

A critical review of the literature relevant to social problem‐solving skills training (SPSST) in individuals with intellectual disabilities concluded that although there is some evidence that training may be effective, the evidence is weak. It is suggested that little is known about factors which may moderate the effectiveness of training; in particular the impact of age, general intellectual ability and place of residence (community or institution). A five‐stage view of the social problem‐solving process is offered as a means for planning and evaluating SPSST programmes, and detailed outcome criteria are proposed for assessing the effectiveness of training. A group (n = 29) of adults with intellectual disabilities was given SPSST. Comparisons were made with an untrained control group (n = 17) matched to the trained group on age, general intelligence, adaptive and maladaptive behaviour. A statistically significant improvement was found in the trained group (p &lt; 0.01), but not in the control group (NS), on degree of maladaptive behaviour as rated by independent judges. Improvement occurred only in trainees resident in the community but was not influenced by age or level of general intelligence. Furthermore, reductions in maladaptive behaviour were associated with improvements in some but not all social problem‐solving skills.

Adolescent interpersonal problem-solving skill training: Social validation and generalization

Effectiveness of social problem-solving skills training with conduct-disordered inpatient adolescents was examined in a multiple baseline design. Training criteria were socially validated with normal adolescents. Generalization from the trained situations to untrained problem situations and from training to identical trained and untrained in vivo situations was assessed. Indirect effects of training on staff ratings of overall adjustment were examined. Verbal problem-solving improved to criteria, generalized to unfamiliar problem situations, and was maintained at a one-month follow-up assessment (for three of eight subjects). Behavior during contrived in vivo problem situations was unimproved immediately following treatment, but some improvement was displayed by follow-up assessment for the three subjects who remained. Staff ratings of overall adjustment failed to reflect improvement in the youths' overall behavior. The implications of these results and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Stress, Burnout, and the Special Services Provider

Burnout is a particular response to stress involving psychological withdrawal. It is a costly coping mechanism that can adversely affect the motivation, performance, and personal wellbeing of special service providers. The burnout response develops when more direct and active problem-solving efforts are perceived as useless. Research on the causes of burnout suggests that factors in the work environment are relatively more important than characteristics of individuals. Lack of clarity, control, support, and feedback, as well as work overload, are particularly significant sources of burnout in special education. Various strategies for preventing burnout have been developed, and some have been evaluated to a limited extent. They include individual strategies such as exercise, progressive relaxation, cognitive restructuring, and social problem-solving skills training. Group strategies such as social support groups and resource exchange networks, and organizational strategies such as participative decision-ma...