EFFICACY OF CONVERSATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING OF SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS IN SWEDEN AND NORWAY

A structured method of conversational skills training was applied to t est Swedish outpatients (mean age 45) and five Norwegian inpatients (m ean age 26), all with chronic schizophrenia. Conversational skills wer e assessed before and after training through video-taped standardized role-plays. Patients improved substantially and to approximately the s ame extent regardless of age, sex, chronicity, symptoms (BPRS), nation ality, or being in- or outpatients. The older Swedish outpatients need ed more motivational work before they were willing to enrol in the tra ining program, in contrast to the younger Norwegian inpatients. Improv ement was ab mediated by symptom reduction; thus, substantial training effects can be attained for a wide range of schizophrenic patients.