Life skill Training: Psychoeducational training as mental health treatment

Abstract

Fifty‐four patients of a Veterans Administration Medical Center were assigned to either a life‐skill training program that emphasized psycho educational instruction and skill building or to a group counseling control condition. Subjects assigned to life‐skill training were provided with 28 hours of instruction in interpersonal communication, purpose in life problem solving, and physical fitness/health maintenance. Control subjects received equal time engaged in psychiatric treatment that emphasized the analysis and exploration of personal problems, but with no direct coping skill training. Significant differences between the two groups were found on measures of interpersonal communication and meaningful purpose in life. Both groups received lower staff ratings on psychopathological behavior and demonstrated improvement on ratings of health and physical fitness upon completion of treatment. Twelve‐ and 24‐month follow‐up data that include re‐hospitalization rates are presented for each group.

Assessment of the Long-Term Benefits of Life Skills Programming on Psychosocial Adjustment

“…In accordance with the literature on skills training for psychiatric patients, Life Skills is perceived as most beneficial in the interpersonal realm, increasing individuals' social functioning in a variety of situations (Bedell et al, 1997;Benton & Schroeder, 1990;Dilk & Bond, 1996;May et al, 1985;Pratt & Mueser, 2002). Not surprisingly, many participants indicated that the poor attendance of other students, the videotaping of exercises, and discomfort with role-playing exercises were problematic aspects of their Life Skills experiences.…”

“…The stress-vulnerability model conceptualizes mental illness as a product of a biological susceptibility that manifests itself, or is exacerbated, in the presence of stress. Life Skills coaches teach students how to adaptively cope with stressful life events; this training decreases the severity of psychiatric symptoms and=or minimizes the likelihood of relapse by increasing the participant's level of psychosocial functioning (Ford & Urban, 1998;Gazda, 1982;May, Gazda, Powell, & Hauser, 1985;Pratt & Mueser, 2002;Segrin & Givertz, 2003). Social skills training has been described as the ''single most important innovation for the psychological treatment of persons with serious mental illness'' (Bedell, Hunter, & Corrigan, 1997, p. 220).…”

“…Social skills training has been described as the ''single most important innovation for the psychological treatment of persons with serious mental illness'' (Bedell, Hunter, & Corrigan, 1997, p. 220). Empirical studies have consistently shown that social=life skills training programs are effective in improving targeted skills, enhancing social functioning, increasing patients' level of assertiveness, reducing the severity of psychiatric symptoms and the length of stay at a psychiatric hospital (Bedell et al, 1997;Benton & Schroeder, 1990;Dilk & Bond, 1996;May et al, 1985;Reddon et al, 1996Reddon et al, , 2008. In a rigorous meta-analysis of 68 studies regarding skill training effectiveness for individuals with severe mental illness, Dilk and Bond (1996) concluded that behavioral skills training is effective for teaching interpersonal and assertiveness skills, either within a hospital setting or in the community.…”

Prospective memory impairment and its implications for community living skills in bipolar disorder

“…Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) display memory impairments even in remission . Intact memory functions are essential to maintain adequate community living skills , defined as a combination of practical skills necessary to live independently outside the hospital . The aforementioned studies refer to retrospective memory (RM), that is, the ability to recall past events .…”

Improvement in psychosocial adjustment for psychiatric patients after a 16‐week life skills education program

“…Past research supports life skills traininig efficacy among a wide variety of groups including penitentiary inmates (Marshall, Turner, & Barbaree, 1989;Reker & Meissner, 1977); veteran psychiatric patients (May, Gazda, Powell, & Hauser, 1985;Powell & Clayton, 1980;Powell, Illovsky, O'Leary, & Gazda, 1988); the mentally retarded, learning disabled, and emotionally disturbed (Gresham, 1981); young adults with chronic mental disorders (Lehman et al, 1986); short-term psychiatric inpatients (Griffin-Shelley & Trachtenberg, 1985); long-term psychiatric inpatients (Griffin-Shelley & Wendel, 1988); psychiatric outpatients (Falloon, Lindley, McDonald, & Marks, 1977); individuals who display avoidant personality disorder (Stravynski, Lesage, Marcouiller, & Elie, 1989); and chronic schizophrenics (Brown & Munford, 1983). Although the improvement of psychosocial adjustment is a major aim of life skills training (Gazda & Powell, 1981), few studies have examined the degree to which psychosocial adjustment may change as a result of participation in such a program.…”