Elaboration of a rehabilitation method based on a pathogenetic hypothesis of "theory of mind" impairment in schizophrenia

"Theory of mind" skills have repeatedly been shown to be impaired in schizophrenic patients. The purpose of this paper is to develop a therapeutic intervention targeting schizophrenic patients' abilities to attribute mental states to others. This preliminary study tried to test the hypothesis that this kind of intervention should improve patients' communication abilities; we also wondered if this would have a positive impact on their more general psychopathology. Eight chronic schizophrenic patients were asked to analyse video scenes (showing interactions between two or more persons), with particular attention being paid to the characters' mental states. Their clinical assessments (general clinical symptoms, communication, and the ability to attribute intentions to others, rated before and after two training sessions, over a one-week period) were compared with those of a control group of six chronic schizophrenic patients. The results support our hypothesis of a possible improvement of patients' communication disorders and an improvement of their abilities to attribute intentions to others. The more general psychopathology ratings, however, remained unchanged. Although these results need further development and confirmation, they suggest a possible promising approach for psychosocial rehabilitation therapies based on "theory of mind" skills.