A test of the therapeutic mechanism in social skills training with avoidant personality disorder.

Twenty-eight patients meeting the criteria for DSM-III avoidant personality disorder were randomly assigned to two treatment groups consisting each of five sessions of social skills training plus homework and five sessions of group discussion plus homework administered in different order in accordance with a latin-square (crossover) design. Twenty-one subjects completed the study. No significant differences between the treatment groups or treatment modalities (i.e., social skills training and group discussion combined with homework each) were found. Significant improvements in time on most measures were found when data from both groups were amalgamated.