The proposed study has two general aims: 1) To examine the social functioning of schizophrenic patients and determine whether they have specific, differential social skill deficits; 2) To evaluate the validity and utility of role play tests for assessing interpersonal behavior. Schizophrenic patients will be compared to matched groups of non-schizophrenic patients and non-patients. They will be assessed three times over the course of one year. A comprehensive battery of measures will be employed, including psychiatric ratings, self-report, behavioral observation, staff and significant other ratings, and measures of premorbid competence. The study will provide important data on the nature of social dysfunction in schizophrenia, the relationship of dysfunction to other aspects of symptomatology, differences in social performance between schizophrenics and non-schizophrenics and between symptomatically distinct sub-groups of schizophrenics, and on the validity of the social skills model of interpersonal dysfunction. The results will have important implications for the assessment and treatment of schizophrenia.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH038636-03
Application #
3376746
Study Section
(PCBA)
Project Start
1984-01-01
Project End
1986-12-31
Budget Start
1986-01-01
Budget End
1986-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Allegheny University of Health Sciences
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19129
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Bellack, A S; Blanchard, J J; Mueser, K T (1996) Cue availability and affect perception in schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 22:535-44
Mueser, K T; Doonan, R; Penn, D L et al. (1996) Emotion recognition and social competence in chronic schizophrenia. J Abnorm Psychol 105:271-5
Bellack, A S; Blanchard, J J; Murphy, P et al. (1996) Generalization effects of training on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test for schizophrenia patients. Schizophr Res 19:189-94
Mueser, K T; Blanchard, J J; Bellack, A S (1995) Memory and social skill in schizophrenia: the role of gender. Psychiatry Res 57:141-53
Penn, D L; Mueser, K T; Doonan, R et al. (1995) Relations between social skills and ward behavior in chronic schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 16:225-32
Sayers, M D; Bellack, A S; Wade, J H et al. (1995) An empirical method for assessing social problem solving in schizophrenia. Behav Modif 19:267-89

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