Social Skills Training Program and its Effect on Quality of Life and Stigma among Patients with Schizophrenia

Context: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that significantly disrupts an individual's social interactions, work performance, and overall quality of life. People with mental illnesses frequently encounter stigma due to various causes, which may result in self-stigmatization when they internalize these negative beliefs. Aim: Evaluate the effect of social skills training program on quality of life and stigma among patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The current study employs a quasi-experimental research design (one group pre/post-test). The research was conducted at the inpatient unit of El-Maamoura Hospital on 50 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. They were selected purposefully for this study. Four study tools were selected to assess the sociodemographic and medical data, social skills, life quality, and stigmatization among patients with schizophrenia. Results: Most schizophrenic patients in this study initially exhibited low social skills before the program; however, this proportion declined to less than one-fifth after the program, showing a statistically significant improvement in all aspects of social skills. Similarly, while fewer than one-fifth of the participants initially reported a good quality of life, this figure rose to approximately two-thirds following the program, with significant improvements in all quality-of-life domains except for thought and speech, orientation and insight. Furthermore, 66% of the patients experienced a high stigma level before the program, which decreased to one-third afterward, with significant reductions across all stigma subscales. Additionally, a highly statistically significant correlation was found between overall scores of social skills, quality of life, and stigma across the program phases (p≤0.001). Conclusion: Social skills training has a notably beneficial influence on enhancing social abilities and life quality and reducing stigma among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Implementing a psychoeducational nursing intervention program is essential to mitigating the adverse effects of schizophrenia and fostering better insight among affected patients.