A comparative analysis of varying treatment approaches on the level of community adjustment among schizophrenic outpatients

This study attempted to compare the effectiveness of four different treatment approaches, namely individual supportive therapy, social skills training, psychoeducational training and medication only on the level of community adjustment among a group of schizophrenic outpatients. The method of this study involved the random assignment of 94 schizophrenic outpatients attending a mental health clinic to one of the four treatment groups described above. The treatment consisted of ten 1${1\over 2}$ hour biweekly sessions over a six month time period. The subjects' level of community adjustment was measured at posttreatment through a slightly revised version of the Katz Adjustment Scale. Analysis of the data collected demonstrated no differences in the effectiveness among the four treatment approaches. This finding suggests that schizophrenics do not receive any additional benefit from cognitive or skills training than they do from an insight oriented treatment and that these three treatments do not differ in their effectiveness from no psychosocial treatment whatsoever. This author concludes the possibility that the cognitive and/or skills training had little effect on this study's sample due to the chronicity and the low socio-economic status of the sample and the duration of treatment. Furthermore, it is concluded that these types of treatment must be intensive, highly structured and continuous to produce any benefit for the schizophrenic individual especially the chronic schizophrenic. Lastly, the possibility exists that the illness of schizophrenia itself prevents the afflicted individual from receiving much benefit from these treatments. Recommendations are made for the social work field to investigate these treatment approaches and newer innovative approaches through continued research and to alter existing curriculum in order to educate social work students about this special population and its special needs.