Different effects of social cognitive skills training in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder: A rater-blinded, multicenter, randomized controlled trial.
Sadao Otsuka, Satsuki Oe, Sumie Yamada et al.
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In 30 seconds
This multicenter, rater-blinded randomized controlled trial evaluated social cognitive skills training (SCST) in 47 adults with schizophrenia and/or autism spectrum disorder, comparing it with treatment as usual. The six-week group intervention targeted emotional processing and theory of mind. SCST significantly improved facial emotion perception across diagnoses; theory-of-mind improvement in ASD was at trend level. At six-week follow-up, effects were maintained and generalized to better global functioning only in participants with ASD. Attendance and participant feedback supported feasibility.
Key findings
- SCST significantly improved facial emotion perception across diagnostic groups.
- Theory of mind showed a trend-level improvement specific to participants with ASD.
- At follow-up, maintained effects and improved global functioning were reported only for ASD.
- High attendance and positive participant feedback in both groups supported feasibility.
Why it matters
Social cognitive difficulties occur across schizophrenia and ASD and are linked to poor functional outcomes. The findings suggest that some training components may benefit both groups, while functional gains may differ by diagnosis. This supports further evaluation of interventions that combine shared social-cognitive targets with diagnosis-sensitive components, while recognizing that the evidence is preliminary.
What to keep in mind
The trial included 47 adults and follow-up was limited to six weeks after the intervention; the abstract describes the ASD theory-of-mind result as trend-level.