Do clozapine and risperidone affect social competence and problem solving?

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of clozapine and risperidone on social skill and problem solving in patients with schizophrenia. METHOD The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Maryland Assessment of Social Competence were administered at baseline, week 17, and week 29 of a multisite clinical trial. RESULTS Despite evidence of clinical improvement with both medications, there was virtually no medication effect on either social competence or problem solving. CONCLUSIONS These findings underscore the circumscribed nature of symptomatic improvement in the broader spectrum of clinical outcomes and suggest that new-generation medications may not be expected to produce substantial changes in social role functioning or social problem-solving capacity in the community. The generalizability of the findings should be viewed cautiously because of the low power of this trial, and replication is warranted.