Social Skills, Social Anxiety, and Cognitive Factors in Schizophrenia

Above all, human beings are social creatures. We are born into social environments, we discover and explore the world through social discourse, and we come to know ourselves through interpersonal experience. Social interaction is so basic to our nature that individuals unable to relate normally may appear alien and lacking in some essential human quality. Disturbed social functioning represents a great human tragedy, since social dysfunction often results in estrangement from society, with limited opportunities for participation, self-discovery, and contribution. This tragedy is central to schizophrenia, which is characterized by pervasive interpersonal anxiety, impaired social behavior, and withdrawal from human relationships.