Description of the Techniques Used in Social Skills
Training Program: The social skills training program was based on the modules developed by Bellack et al. [32] and Liberman et al. [33]. The training program was divided into two parts: conversational skills and assertiveness skills. The conversational skills training included both verbal and nonverbal communication skills and the following exercises were employed in this order: explanation, demonstration, role play, feedback,reinforcement and homework exercise.
The assertiveness skills’ training included expressing
feelings and needs and rights in an interpersonal context
and the patients were trained by using a set of
hypothetical stressful situations developed by the
researcher as experienced by the patients inside and outside the hospital. It was focused on identifying the
problem, defining goals, generating alternatives, weighing
the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative,
choosing a reasonable option, developing an
implementation plan and evaluating and rewarding element of communication conveyed through facial
progress.