EVALUATION OF PROBLEM-SOLVING AND COMMUNICATION-SKILLS OF PERSONS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Although much research has shown positive outcomes of teaching problem solving and communication skills to persons with schizophrenia, the a mount of research on the assessment of these two sets of skills has be en modest. The current study demonstrates an effective model for their assessment and includes a previously neglected procedure to determine if subjects attended to the skill prompts. It replicates and expands prior findings on problem solving and communication skills. Results in dicated that persons with schizophrenia were generally deficit in prob lem solving skills. Persons without schizophrenia seemed to use more b ehavioral information when deciding if a problem existed and they were better able to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate so lutions to problems. Persons with schizophrenia were found to be defic it in communication skills that facilitate interaction and showed a st yle that subordinated their wants to those of others. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science Ireland Ltd.