A group cognitive-behavioral and process-oriented approach to treating the social impairment and negative symptoms associated with chronic mental illness.

Major changes in health insurance have brought challenges in managed mental health care services to the forefront. Given slim capitation margins, brief treatment with proven efficacy had become the standard. These developments have significant ramifications for the treatment of chronic mental illnesses, which often require lifelong treatment. Efficacious short-term group treatment may help fill the gap between quality of care and the ideal economic allocation of mental health care services for people with chronic mental illnesses. The present treatment outcome study was designed to determine the extent to which Interactive-Behavioral Training (IBT)--a group psychotherapy model that actively combines cognitive-behavioral and group process techniques--can provide significant gains for people who suffer from chronic and debilitating social impairment and negative symptoms.