Social-Skills Training for Spanish-Speaking Persons with Schizophrenia: Experiences From Latin America, Spain, and the United States

Abstract

A review was conducted on the cross-cultural adaptation, effectiveness, and validation of social-skills training (SST), an evidence-based practice that originated in the English language, carried out in the Spanish language for persons with schizophrenia in Latin America, Spain, and the United States. This review of research delineates the methodology of the published literature that contained a wide variety of studies from empirically based evaluation of case reports to randomized, controlled trials. The weight of the evidence from all three regions revealed greater benefits to Spanish-speaking patients who received SST in symptoms, skill acquisition and community functioning than for patients who received customary treatment. To ensure the cross-cultural effectiveness of rehabilitation practices originating in English-speaking countries, it is essential that adaptations beyond language translations be made to meet the unique expectations, norms, values, and customs of Spanish-speaking patients and families in the three regions that are the focus of this report.

Keywords:

• Antipsychotic medication
• Cross-cultural validity
• Evidence-based treatment
• Psychosocial rehabilitation
• Schizophrenia
• Social-skills training