Effectiveness of a culturally adapted basic conversation skill training module for people with Schizophrenia in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study developed and tested the effectiveness of a culturally adapted Basic Conversation Skill Training Module (CBCST) for Hong Kong Chinese with schizophrenia. The study is divided into three stages. In stage one, the Basic Conversation Skill Training Module including the instruction manual, client workbook, and video tape were translated and culturally adapted. In stage two, six participants were recruited for pilot trial of the CBCST. Improvements were noticed in basic social survival skill (p<.05), voice quality (p<.05), non-verbal skill (p<.05), verbal skill (p<.05), PWI (p<.05) and ASSEI (p<.05) after training. Qualitative analysis was also employed to investigate the criterion equivalence and conceptual equivalence. With minor revisions, the CBCST was finished which was shown to be relevant for local Chinese participants. In stage three, 96 participants were recruited and randomly allocated into three groups: CBCST group, CBCST group with skill generalization training (SGT) and placebo group. After 15 sessions of intervention, the CBCST group with SGT (p<.001) and the CBCST group (p<.005) outperformed the placebo group in social skills. At six month follow up, the social skill of CBCST group with SGT was better than the CBCST group (p=.001) and the placebo group (p=.005).