[Effectiveness of social skills training among children with behavior problems: A randomized controlled trial]

To investigate the effectiveness of social skills training for 50 children aged 7 to 14 with child behavior disorders, as compared with 51 children on a waiting-list to be treated.

A total of 101 children with behavior disorders were selected as the sample. Fifty were randomly assigned in the intervention group, who received 12 weeks of social skills training by health education teachers, and the other 51 children were in the control group who received social skills training after 12 weeks. The Rutter parent and Teacher Scale and CBCL (achenbach child behavior checklist) were used to evaluate the effect before and after intervention.

Before intervention, the total scores, A (antisocial/disobey behavior)and N (neurosis behavior ) scores of the Rutter parent Scale were of no difference. After intervention, the total subtraction scores(4.10+/-3.21),A subtraction scores(1.10+/-1.37)and N subtraction scores(1.32+/-0.91)in the intervention group improved significantly(P<0.05-0.001), the recovery rate by clinical evaluation was 34%. After intervention, the total subtraction scores(2.50+/-1.96), A subtraction scores(0.74+/-1.10)and N subtraction scores(0.96+/-0.95) of the Rutter Teacher Scale in the intervention group improved significantly(P<0.01), the recovery rate by clinical evaluation was 58%. After intervention, the total subtraction scores(5.44+/-3.98), somatization subtraction scores(1.10+/-1.27), disobey subtraction scores(1.36+/-1.35) of CBCL in the intervention group improved significantly(P<0.01). The effective rate by clinical evaluation was 54%. The intervention way was accepted by children and their parents.

Social skills training is acceptable and is helpful in improving psychosocial competence for children with behavior problems.