The Effectiveness of a Social Skills Training Intervention Program for Family Members of Patients With Schizophrenia in Japan: A Pilot Study

Introduction and aim Although previous psychiatric studies have examined family-based social skills training (SST), limited research has specifically evaluated interventions aimed at improving coping skills among family members of individuals with schizophrenia. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an SST intervention program for family members of patients with schizophrenia. Methods Using a mixed-methods approach, eight family members of schizophrenia outpatients or hospitalized patients receiving treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Okinawa, Japan, were invited to participate. The program consisted of 10 group SSTs conducted once every two weeks from June 2017 to November 2017. Program effectiveness was assessed quantitatively using the Family Burden and Distress Scale (FBDS) and Kikuchi's Scale of Social Skills (KiSS-18), analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and qualitatively via focus group interviews (FGI) conducted before and after the program. Results The participants included two fathers, three mothers, and one sibling of the patients (n = 6). Quantitatively, the mean FBDS total score decreased significantly from 60.5 to 51.7 (z = -1.99, p < 0.05), and the mean KiSS-18 score improved significantly from 57.7 to 60.8 (z = -2.20, p < 0.05) after the intervention. Qualitatively, the following three categories were extracted: gained peace of mind by participating in a family meeting; diminished feelings of suffering or burden; and recognition of a change in one's perspective and realization of the effectiveness of coping strategies through actual implementation. Conclusions The findings suggest that the SST intervention program may be effective in fostering adaptive coping abilities of family members of patients with schizophrenia. Thus, SST programs organized by medical staff have the potential to ease the emotional burden on families by changing their perception of and coping strategies toward patients. Furthermore, support provided to family members through improvement of their social skills may contribute to an overall improvement in the medical treatment environment for patients and could potentially help reduce the risk of hospital readmission.