Medalia A, Revheim N, Casey M
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Schizophr Bull. 2001;27(2):259-67. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a006872.
Efforts to remediate the problem-solving deficits of patients with schizophrenia have met with circumscribed success. This could be viewed as a sign of the immutability of the deficit or, alternatively, as a reflection of the inefficacy of the training techniques used. This study examined the feasibility of using problem-solving teaching techniques developed within educational psychology for remediating the problem-solving deficits of inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. These techniques rely on intrinsic motivation and task engagement, which are promoted through contextualization, personalization, and control of learning activities. A sample of 54 patients who demonstrated problem-solving and memory deficits on psychometric testing were randomly assigned to a problem-solving group, a memory training group, or a control group. Patients who received ten sessions of problem-solving remediation showed significantly more improvement on the outcome measure that assessed problem-solving skills required for independent living. Patients who received ten sessions of memory training did not improve on problem-solving measures. These results suggest that patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders are responsive to problem-solving training techniques that promote intrinsic motivation and task engagement.
