Improvement in psychosocial adjustment for psychiatric patients after a 16-week life skills education program

The Holden Psychological Screening Inventory, a 36-item screening inventory for psychosocial adjustment, was administered pre- and posttreatment to 31 psychiatric patients enrolled in a 16-week life skills education program. Statistically significant improvements in the Depression Symptomatology, Social Symptomatology, and Total scores were obtained, but the Psychiatric Symptomatology scale did not improve significantly. Size of effect was larger for Depression Symptomatology (.52) and Social Symptomatology (.30) than for Psychiatric Symptomatology (.23). On a 6-point scale all patients rated their overall satisfaction with the program on the two most favorable categories, excellent and very good. The results provide support for life skills education programming for psychiatric patients as part of the treatment and recovery process.