The efficacy of social skills training (SST) and social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) for negative symptoms: A meta-analysis

Background and objectives The efficacy of antipsychotic drugs in improving negative symptoms of schizophrenia remains controversial. Psychological interventions, such as Social Skills Training (SST) and Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT), have been developed and applied in clinical practice. The current meta-analysis was therefore conducted to evaluate the efficacy of controlled clinical trials using SST and SCIT on treating negative symptoms. Methods Systematical searches were carried out on PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated to assess the effect size of SST/SCIT on negative symptoms. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were conducted to explore sources of heterogeneity and identify potential factors that may influence their efficacy. Results A total of 23 studies including 1441 individuals with schizophrenia were included. The SST group included 8 studies with 635 individuals, and the SCIT group included 15 studies with 806 individuals. The effect size for the efficacy of SST on negative symptoms was -0.44 (95% CI: -0.60 to -0.28; p < 0.01), while SCIT was -0.16 (95% CI: -0.30 to -0.02; p < 0.01). Conclusions Our findings suggest that while both SST and SCIT can alleviate negative symptoms, the former appears to be more effective. Our results provide evidence-based guidance for the application of these interventions in both hospitalized and community individuals and can help inform the treatment and intervention of individuals with schizophrenia. (AU)

Fine Motor Skills, a Surrogate of Motor Planning Ability, at Age 2 Predict Social Skills at Age 6.

OBJECTIVES: Motor planning is the cognitive process of planning necessary steps for achieving a purposeful movement and is specifically reflected through object manipulation. This study aimed to investigate whether fine motor skills, a surrogate of the motor planning ability of object manipulation, in early childhood are associated with later social skills, in a general-population birth cohort. METHODS: A total of 913 children, participating in the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children, were enrolled. Social skills were measured using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II, Socialization domain, at age 6 years. Fine motor skills were measured using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning at 14, 24, and 32 months. The associations between fine motor skills at ages 14, 24, and 32 months and social skills at age 6 years were tested separately through multivariable linear regression after adjusting for covariates, including gross motor and language skills at the contemporaneous age, autistic symptoms at age 6 years, and demographic factors. RESULTS: Fine motor skills at 24 and 32 months were significantly associated with social skills at age 6 years (at 24 months: nonstandardized regression coefficient = 1.38 [95% CI, 0.50-2.26], p = 0.002; at 32 months: 1.47 [0.56-2.38], p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Fine motor skills in early childhood predicted social skills at age 6 years, indicating an association between the complex motor planning ability of object manipulation and later social skills. Children who demonstrate fine motor delay at as early an age as 2 years should be closely monitored by child professionals.

Validation of key components in designing a social skills training content using virtual reality for high functioning autism youth-A Fuzzy Delphi method.

The use of virtual reality in social skills training for high functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) youth has been found to be engaging and enjoyable. Despite the promising results, previous literature indicates that there has been no consensus on the social skills target in the training content. There is also limited research on how evidence-based strategies like cognitive and behaviour techniques are instantiated into the VR environment to teach social skills. The aim of this study is to determine the key components to design a social skills training content using virtual reality for youths with HFASD. The Fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) was used to obtain expert consensus on social skills difficulties and cognitive behavioral techniques included in the content in three phases. In phase 1, a questionnaire was developed from in-depth interviews and scientific literature review. The in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 HFASD youth, 7 parents and 6 experts. In phase 2, 3 experts rated the relevance of the items in the questionnaire using an item-level content validity index (I-CVI) assessment. In phase 3, the questionnaire was distributed to 10 experts to rate their level of agreement on each component using a 7-point Likert scale. Components that received a value above 75%, threshold value (d) ≤ 0.2, fuzzy score (A) ≥ α - cut value = 0.5 and higher rank based on defuzzification score were prioritized to be included in the content. Items that received higher expert consensus on social skills difficulties included assessing non-verbal responses, initiating, maintaining, and leaving conversations, emotional difficulties and difficulties in perspective taking. Cognitive and behavioral techniques that received higher expert consensus were psychoeducation, modelling, relaxation techniques, reinforcements, and perspective-taking questions. These key components can be used as a framework for the development of virtual learning content for social skills training in future studies.

Eficacia de los programas de desarrollo socioemocional aplicados en educación primaria: Una revisión sistemática paraguas / Effectiveness of social-emotional development programs applied in primary education: an umbrella systematic review

En la actualidad ha aumentado el desarrollo de programas de entrenamiento en habilidades socioemocionales en la infancia, debido a que se los considera como una herramienta válida para la adaptación y afrontamiento de una gran variedad de situaciones, tanto académicas como personales. Sin embargo, son escasos los estudios que aporten una visión integral de las evidencias disponibles en el contexto de educación primaria. Se presenta una revisión sistemática de tipo paraguas basada en el método PRISMA, que incluye revisiones sobre programas de desarrollo socioemocional aplicados en educación primaria, con el objetivo de sintetizar sus características y recopilar los principales resultados reportados. Se utilizaron las bases de datos: ERIC, WOS, PSYCINFO, SCOPUS y COCHRANE. Tras un proceso por pares ciegos se seleccionaron y analizaron 15 revisiones. Utilizando las herramientas AMSTAR-2 y SANRA se encontró que el 60% de los estudios secundarios presenta una calidad críticamente baja o baja. Se identificaron 39 programas reportados en revisiones de buena calidad, un 51.2% presentaron evidencias moderadas o fuertes e informaron efectos significativos principalmente en ajuste del comportamiento, competencia social y emocional y habilidades académicas. Se discute el impacto de la calidad metodológica encontrada y las evidencias reportados en la interpretación y generalización de los hallazgos.(AU)

Currently, the development of training programs in socioemo-tional skills in childhood has increased because they are considered as a valid tool for adaptation and coping with a variety of situations, both aca-demic and personal. However, there are few studies that show a compre-hensive view of available evidences. This research presents an umbrella re-view based on PRISMA method guidelines. It includes reviews on socio-emotional development programs applied in Primary Education with the aim of synthesizing their characteristics and compiling the main results on their effectiveness. The following databases were used: ERIC, WOS, PSYCINFO, SCOPUS and COCHRANE. After a blind peer process, 15 reviews that met the inclusion criteria were selected and analysed. Using the AMSTAR-2 and SANRA tools, it was found that 60% of secondary studies have critically low or low quality. Thirty nine programs reported in good quality reviews were identified, 51.2% presented moderate or strong evidence and reported significant effectsmainly on behavioral adjustment, social and emotional competencies and academic skills. The impact of the methodological quality found and the evidences on the interpretation and generalization of the findings is discussed.(AU)

Kids these days and kids those days: Investigating perceptions of children's social skills from 1988 to 2007.

Behavior rating scales are frequently used assessment tools designed to measure social skills. Use of norm-referenced assessments such as behavior rating scales requires examiners and test publishers to consider when norms become obsolete and norm-referenced scores can no longer be validly interpreted. A fundamental factor influencing norm obsolescence regards changes in baseline levels of targeted traits within the population. Yet, limited research exists regarding how social skills may change at a population level over time as measured by established assessment tools. Thus, the present study investigates population trends in social skills of K-12 children as rated by parents, teachers, and students by concordantly linking the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS; nparent = 833, nteacher = 1215, nstudent = 4105) and the Social Skills Improvement System-Rating Scales (SSIS-RS; nparent = 2400, nteacher = 750, nstudent = 800) using validity samples collected during the development of the SSIS-RS (nparent = 240, nteacher = 221, nstudent = 224). Analyses evaluated differences between ratings on the standardization data from 1988 and 2007 by informant, sex, grade level, and sex by grade level. After applying linear linking techniques, we conducted a series of statistical comparisons that revealed a general upward trend of ratings for the 2007 sample compared to the 1988 sample, with important differences across sex, grade level, and informant. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings for consideration and assessment of children's social skills.

Pilot study of the effectiveness of a telehealth group for improving peer relationships for adolescents with neurofibromatosis type 1.

BACKGROUND: Interventions for social difficulties have not been investigated in the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) population despite observations of elevated rates of social difficulties. In this pilot study, the effectiveness of a 14-week telehealth PEERS® intervention with nineteen adolescents with NF1 (Mage=13.79 years, SD = 1.32) with social skills difficulties was examined. Measures of social outcomes were completed at three timepoints (before, immediately after, and at 14-week follow-up). RESULTS: Caregiver-reported social-emotional skills, social impairment, caregiver-reported number of adolescent get-togethers, and teen social knowledge showed significant improvement following the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The PEERS® intervention is promising to support the social and friendship skills of adolescents with NF1 who have social difficulties.

Gendered pathways to socioemotional competencies in very young children.

Parent-child and teacher-child relationship closeness have been shown to be crucial for children's development of socioemotional competencies from preschool to school-age stages. However, less is known about the importance of developing close relationships with young infants and toddlers attending childcare group settings for their early socioemotional development. The current study aimed to address this gap and to explore how child gender may influence the associations. Participants included 378 Hong Kong Chinese children (196 girls; Mage = 22.05 months, SD = 9.81 months) enrolled in childcare centres, along with their parents and teachers. Parents reported on children's socioemotional competencies as well as their relationship closeness with children; teachers reported on their relationship closeness with children. Multiple group structural equation modelling was used to analyse the results. The findings showed that both parent-child and teacher-child closeness were positively associated with children's social competence, while teacher-child closeness was negatively associated with children's anxiety behaviour. Parents of girls reported greater parent-child closeness, higher levels of social competence, and higher levels of anxiety behaviours compared to parents of boys. Furthermore, teacher-child closeness was significantly associated with social competence exclusively among girls, while parent-child closeness was significantly associated with anxiety behaviours solely among boys. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of child gender in influencing the associations between parent-child closeness, teacher-child closeness, and children's socioemotional competencies in the earliest years.

Social skills in neurodevelopmental disorders: a study using role-plays to assess adolescents and young adults with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and autism spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUNDS: Social skills are frequently impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic conditions, including 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although often assessed with questionnaires, direct assessment provides a more valid estimate of the constructs. Role-plays (i.e., simulates situational settings) therefore appear to be an appropriate indicator of social skills in daily life. METHODS: This co-registered study involved 53 individuals with 22q11DS, 34 individuals with ASD, and 64 typically developing (TD) peers aged 12-30 years. All participants were assessed with role-plays as well as parent-reported questionnaires and clinical interviews focusing on social skills, functioning and anxiety. RESULTS: Both clinical groups showed impaired social skills compared to TD, but distinct social profiles emerged between the groups. Individuals with 22q11DS displayed higher social appropriateness and clarity of speech but weaker general argumentation and negotiation skills, with the opposite pattern observed in participants with ASD. No association was found between social skills measured by direct observation and caregiver reports. Social anxiety, although higher in clinical groups than in TD, was not associated with role-plays. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need to train social skills through tailored interventions to target the specific difficulties of each clinical population. It also highlights the importance of combining measures as they do not necessarily provide the same outcome.

A systematic review of the efficacy of group social skills interventions on social functioning and social participation in children with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Group social skills interventions (GSSIs) versus any comparator on social functioning in children aged 5-12 years with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy. BACKGROUND: GSSIs are an evidence-based approach to foster social skills development in children with autism spectrum disorder. Currently, limited literature exploring GSSIs in children with acquired brain injury and cerebral palsy is available. RESULTS: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, clinicaltrials.gov, ICTRP and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses were systematically searched. Study screening, risk-of-bias, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Six studies were included in the narrative synthesis (one randomised controlled trial and five nonrandomised studies). Results indicate that GSSIs may increase children's social skills as measured on the Social Skills Rating System and Social Skills Questionnaire. Very low certainty evidence was found for improvements in social functioning and competence. CONCLUSIONS: There is low certainty evidence that participation in GSSI may lead to gains in social functioning for children with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy. Given the certainty of the evidence, these results must be interpreted with caution. Only one randomised controlled trial of GSSIs for children with acquired brain injury was identified, underscoring the need for additional high-quality studies.

Hippocampal Pyk2 regulates specific social skills: Implications for schizophrenia.

Pyk2 has been shown previously to be involved in several psychological and cognitive alterations related to stress, Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. All these disorders are accompanied by different types of impairments in sociability, which has recently been linked to improper mitochondrial function. We hypothesize that Pyk2, which regulates mitochondria, could be associated with the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and social skills. In the present manuscript, we report that a reduction of Pyk2 levels in mouse pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus decreased social dominance and aggressivity. Furthermore, social interactions induced robust Pyk2-dependent hippocampal changes in several oxidative phosphorylation complexes. We also observed that Pyk2 levels were increased in the CA1 pyramidal neurons of schizophrenic subjects, occurring alongside changes in different direct and indirect regulators of mitochondrial function including DISC1 and Grp75. Accordingly, overexpressing Pyk2 in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells mimicked some specific schizophrenia-like social behaviors in mice. In summary, our results indicate that Pyk2 might play a role in regulating specific social skills likely via mitochondrial dynamics and that there might be a link between Pyk2 levels in hippocampal neurons and social disturbances in schizophrenia.

Social competence in autism: A structural equation modeling approach.

Autistic individuals present with difficulties in social competence (e.g., navigating social interactions and fostering relationships). Clinical interventions widely target social cognition and social behavior, but there is inconsistent understanding of the underlying components of social competence. The present study used structural equation modeling to examine social cognition and social behavior and explore the relationship between these latent constructs. Autistic youth (ages 10-17; n = 219) and their caregivers participated in this study. Constructs of social cognition and social behavior were captured using caregiver-report and self-report rating scales, as well as observational measures and direct clinical assessments (e.g., NEPSY-II). Measurement models of social cognition and social behavior demonstrated adequate to good fit. Correlational models demonstrated adequate to poor fit, indicating latent constructs of social cognition and social behavior are not closely related in autistic youth. Exploratory examination of a subsample of male youth (n = 157) evidenced improved model fit of social behavior, specifically. Findings tease apart social cognition and social behavior as cohesive and separable constructs; results do not support a structural relationship between social cognition and social behavior. Noted treatment implications include consideration of how targeting social cognition and social behavior together or separately may support autistic youth's progress toward reaching their identified therapeutic goals and supporting their self-directed social development.

Lexical Alignment is Pervasive Across Contexts in Non-WEIRD Adult-Child Interactions.

Lexical alignment, a communication phenomenon where conversational partners adapt their word choices to become more similar, plays an important role in the development of language and social communication skills. While this has been studied extensively in the conversations of preschool-aged children and their parents in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) communities, research in other pediatric populations is sparse. This study makes significant expansions on the existing literature by focusing on alignment in naturalistic conversations of school-aged children from a non-WEIRD population across multiple conversational tasks and with different types of adult partners. Typically developing children aged 5 to 8 years (n = 45) engaged in four semi-structured conversations that differed by task (problem-solving vs. play-based) and by partner (parent vs. university student), resulting in a corpus of 180 conversations. Lexical alignment scores were calculated and compared to sham conversations, representing alignment occurring at the level of chance. Both children and adults coordinated their conversational utterances by re-using or aligning each other's word choices. This alignment behavior persisted across conversational tasks and partners, although the degree of alignment was moderated by the conversational context. These findings suggest that lexical alignment is a robust phenomenon in conversations between school-age children and adults. Furthermore, this study extends lexical alignment findings to a non-WEIRD culture, suggesting that alignment may be a coordination strategy employed by adults and children across diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Ponle mente a tu vida

Taller que ofrece actividades con herramientas que fortalezcan las habilidades para la vida en jóvenes de 13 a 20 años de edad.

BE-BienEstar: promoción de habilidades para la vida y bienestar psicosocial

Este espacio de salud mental enfocado en el desarrollo de habilidades para la vida y bienestar psicosocial, está pensado en cada persona que requiera información para fomentar el desarrollo personal, el cual sea de fácil comprensión, por lo tanto cuenta con herramientas de fácil comprensión y aplicación en la vida cotidiana, igualmente las actividades con enfoque holístico permiten integrar la mente, el cuerpo y el espíritu, conformando comunidades con bienestar psicológico y habilidades para la vida en pro de una mejor salud mental.

School-based interventions TO Prevent Dating and Relationship Violence and Gender-Based Violence: STOP-DRV-GBV systematic review.

Background: Schools have a duty of care to prevent violence between students but a significant amount of dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence occurs in schools. These are important public health issues with important longitudinal consequences for young people. Objectives: To understand functioning and effectiveness of school-based interventions for the prevention of dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence. Review methods: We undertook a mixed-methods systematic review to synthesise different types of evidence relating to school-based interventions for the prevention of dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence to understand if, how and in what ways these interventions are effective. We searched 21 databases and 2 trial registers and undertook forwards and backwards citation chasing, author contact and other supplementary search methods. Searches identified all literature published to June 2021. All screening was undertaken in duplicate and independently, and we quality appraised all included studies. Results: We included 247 reports (68 outcome evaluations, 137 process evaluations). Synthesis of intervention components produced an intervention typology: single-component, curricular, multicomponent, and multilevel programmes. Synthesis of intervention theories suggested that interventions aiming to increase students' sense of school belonging and sense of safety in the school building could encourage increased learning of prosocial skills and increased prosocial peer norms, and so potentially reducing dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence. Synthesis of factors affecting delivery highlighted school organisation and leaders who believed in the importance of addressing dating and relationship violence/gender-based violence, along with time and resources to deliver the interventions. The ease with which the intervention could be delivered and modified was also important. Meta-analysis found stronger evidence for intervention effectiveness in reducing dating and relationship violence than for gender-based violence, with significant long-term impacts on dating and relationship violence victimisation and perpetration, and some evidence that interventions in high-income countries could be effective for reducing victimisation and perpetration of gender-based violence in the long-term. Impacts on knowledge and attitudes were primarily short-term. Network meta-analysis did not suggest superiority of any intervention type. Moderation evidence suggested interventions reduced dating and relationship violence perpetration in boys more than girls, but reduced gender-based violence perpetration more in girls. Metaregression by intervention component did not explain heterogeneity in effectiveness, but qualitative comparative analysis suggested that reducing perpetration was important to reducing victimisation, and that perpetration could be reduced via focus on interpersonal skills, guided practice and (for gender-based violence) implementation of social structural components. Limitations: Despite an exhaustive search, trials may have been missed and risk of publication bias was high for several analyses. Conclusions: This is the most comprehensive systematic review of school-based interventions for dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence to date. It is clear that the prevention of dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence in schools will require longer-term investment to show benefit. Future work: Future research is needed to understand why intervention effectiveness appears stronger for dating and relationship violence than gender-based violence. Study registration: The study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42020190463. Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR130144) and is published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 12, No. 3. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Schools are places where dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence occur. Therefore, interventions conducted within schools are ideally placed to prevent and reduce dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence. We reviewed existing research on these interventions, exploring how they were expected to work, what factors affected their implementation in practice, how they had an impact on dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence, and what specific parts of the interventions were most effective and in what contexts. We defined what sort of evidence to include in the review, carried out a comprehensive search and found 247 reports on school-based interventions to prevent dating and relationship violence or gender-based violence, most of which were conducted in North America. Most interventions aimed to provide students with the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to prevent perpetration and victimisation. They varied in complexity; some had one activity, others had multiple activities, some were integrated into the existing school curricula and others were complex in that they sought to change how schools as a whole respond to dating and relationship violence or gender-based violence. We theorised that complex interventions would bring about greater and more sustainable change, but this was not supported by our findings. The implementation of interventions was affected by factors such as school organisation and leaders who believed in the importance of addressing dating and relationship violence/gender-based violence, along with time and resources to deliver the interventions. The ease with which the intervention could be delivered and modified was also important. There was stronger evidence for intervention effectiveness in reducing dating and relationship violence than for gender-based violence, with significant long-term impacts on dating and relationship violence victimisation and perpetration. There was some evidence that interventions in high-income countries could be effective for reducing victimisation and perpetration of gender-based violence in the long-term. More complicated interventions were not more effective, and interventions tended to reduce dating and relationship violence perpetration in boys more than in girls. We have also been able to identify where there are gaps in available evidence, which may provide avenues for future research.

Contributions of preschool behavioral self-regulation and social skills to growth in different domains of early math knowledge.

The current study explored the relative contribution of individual differences in children's behavioral self-regulation and social skills (often referred to as learning-related skills) in the fall of preschool to children's rate of growth in different domains of early math knowledge through the spring of kindergarten. Participants were 684 children (Mage = 57.6 months, SD = 3.8, at Time 1 [fall of preschool]; 48% female; 43% Black, 32% White, 13% Latine, 11% multiracial, and 1% Asian). All children were from families with low incomes and lived in the midwestern United States. The math domains of informal numeracy, formal numeracy, and math language were assessed at four time points: fall and spring of preschool and fall and spring of kindergarten. Contrary to expectations, we did not find that either learning-related skill positively predicted rate of growth in math knowledge or observe differential relations by math domain. Rather, the relative contribution of behavioral self-regulation and social skills in the fall of preschool to rate of growth in math knowledge followed similar patterns across all math domains: an early advantage for children with higher initial social skills that stayed consistent over time (i.e., a nonsignificant slope effect) and an early advantage for children with higher initial behavioral self-regulation that diminished over time (i.e., a negative slope effect).

Effectiveness of applied and casual games for young people's mental health: A systematic review of randomised controlled studies.

Many youth experience mental health problems and digital games hold potential as mental health interventions. This systematic review provides an overview of randomised controlled studies assessing the effectiveness of digital applied and casual games for improving mental health in youth aged 6-24 years. A systematic search of PsycINFO, Web of Science and Pubmed yielded 145 eligible studies. Studies on (sub)clinical participant samples (n = 75) most often focused on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism and anxiety. Applied games were found most effective for improving social skills, verbal memory and anxiety, whereas casual games were found most effective for improving depression, anxiety and ADHD. Studies involving healthy youth (n = 70) were grouped into papers examining anxiety in medical settings, momentary effects on positive and negative affect, and papers employing a longitudinal design measuring mental health trait outcomes. Promising results were found for the use of games as distraction tools in medical settings, and for applied and casual games for improving momentary affect. Overall, our findings demonstrate the potential of digital games for improving mental health. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed, such as developing evaluation guidelines, clearly defining applied games, harmonising outcome measures, including positive outcomes, and examining nonspecific factors that may influence symptom improvement as well.

Where it all begins: Predicting initial therapeutic skills before clinical training in cognitive behavior therapy.

To train novice students adequately, it is crucial to understand where they start and how they develop their skills. This study examined the impact of novice students' characteristics on their initial clinical micro-skills when treating simulated patients with cognitive behavior therapy. The sample consisted of 44 graduate psychology students treating seven simulated patients. Clinical micro-skills were measured both using video-based ratings in reaction to short video clips of simulated patients (via the Facilitative Interpersonal Skills (FIS) performance task) and by using video-based ratings within a session with a simulated patient (using the Inventory of Therapeutic Interventions and Skills; ITIS). Two separate LASSO regressions were performed using machine learning to select potential predictors for both skills assessments. Subsequently, a bootstrapping algorithm with 10,000 iterations was used to examine the variability of regression coefficients. Using LASSO regression, we identified two predictors for clinical micro-skills in standardized scenarios: extraversion (b = 0.10) and resilience (b = 0.09), both were not significantly associated with clinical micro-skills. Together, they explained 15% of the skill variation. Bootstrapping confirmed the stability of these predictors. For clinical micro-skills in sessions, only competitiveness was excluded by LASSO regression, and all predictors showed significant instability. The results provide initial evidence that trainees' resilience and extraversion should be promoted in the clinical training of cognitive behavior therapy. More studies on clinical micro-skills and training with larger sample sizes are needed to fully understand clinical development.

Enhancing social outcomes in autistic youth: Assessing the impact of PEERS® booster sessions.

BACKGROUND: The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is a social skills training program for autistic adolescents and those facing social challenges. Its efficacy has been established worldwide, including in Italy. Although booster interventions are a potentially valuable strategy to maintain improvements over time, there is currently no research on the efficacy of providing booster sessions of PEERS® following the traditional treatment. AIMS: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of PEERS® Booster sessions in a sample who had previously participated in a traditional PEERS® Adolescent program. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A longitudinal non-randomized study was conducted involving 21 autistic adolescents, divided into the treatment group undergoing PEERS® Booster sessions and the control group without it. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The study evaluated the primary outcomes (social abilities) and secondary outcomes (co-occurrences, executive functions) at two-time points (pre- and post-treatment). No significant differences were found between groups on baseline measures and primary outcomes. However, there were significant group differences between pre- and post-treatment on primary outcomes (social awareness and social communication) and secondary outcomes (externalizing problems). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The efficacy of the PEERS® Booster Sessions shows promise and clinical implications were also discussed.

Can group membership modulate the social abilities of autistic people? An intergroup bias in smile perception.

Autistic adults struggle to reliably differentiate genuine and posed smiles. Intergroup bias is a promising factor that may modulate smile discrimination performance, which has been shown in neurotypical adults, and which could highlight ways to make social interactions easier. However, it is not clear whether this bias also exists in autistic people. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate this in autism using a minimal group paradigm. Seventy-five autistic and sixty-one non-autistic adults viewed videos of people making genuine or posed smiles and were informed (falsely) that some of the actors were from an in-group and others were from an out-group. The ability to identify smile authenticity of in-group and out-group members and group identification were assessed. Our results revealed that both groups seemed equally susceptible to ingroup favouritism, rating ingroup members as more genuine, but autistic adults also generally rated smiles as less genuine and were less likely to identify with ingroup members. Autistic adults showed reduced sensitivity to the different smile types but the absence of an intergroup bias in smile discrimination in both groups seems to indicate that membership can only modulate social judgements but not social abilities. These findings suggest a reconsideration of past findings that might have misrepresented the social judgements of autistic people through introducing an outgroup disadvantage, but also a need for tailored support for autistic social differences that emphasizes similarity and inclusion between diverse people.