The Effects of Art Therapy and Psychosocial Skills Training on Symptoms and Social Functioning in Patients with Schizophrenia and Their Relatives.

Objective: The effects of antipsychotics on negative symptoms are limited. The most appropriate approach in the treatment of schizophrenia is the integration of drug therapy with psychological and social interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of art therapy and psychosocial skills training (PSST) in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Methods: A total of 15 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the criteria in DSM-5 and 12 patient relatives were included in the study. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, 7 were included in the art therapy program and 8 were included in the PSST program for schizophrenia. 90-minute sessions of art therapy and PSST were carried out once a week for 17 weeks. Participants with schizophrenia were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Social Functioning Scale (SFS) and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia and the relatives were given Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Zarit Burden Interview.

Results: There was a significant decrease in the PANSS negative symptoms, PANSS general psychopathology, SFS pro-social activities and SFS recreation scores in both groups, while the SFS social withdrawal scores decreased significantly only in the art therapy group. In the PANSS negative symptoms subscale, passive social withdrawal, difficulty in abstract thinking, lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation and stereotyped thinking scores were significantly lower in the art therapy group. In the PSST group only the score for difficulty in abstract thinking declined significantly.

Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that art therapy and PSST have positive effects on the improvement of negative symptoms as well as improvements in social and cognitive functionality in schizophrenia.