Abstract
The dissemination of social skills training (SST) in the mental health field in Japan started after Liberman's first visit to Japan in 1988. In the present article, the development of social skills training during the past 15 years was examined, based on 6 questionnaire surveys about the implementation of social skills training. It was found that: (1) implementation started mainly in daycare treatment settings for the improvement of patients' social functioning, (2) financial coverage by national health insurance since 1994 facilitated dissemination in both medical and non-medical institutions, and (3) social skills training is now practiced for a wider range of patients, using various modules. Misunderstandings and criticisms that emerged in the process of dissemination were examined, and the role of the Japanese Association of Social Skills Training (JASST) was studied. The number of papers on social skills training in Japanese journals per year and research trends are summarized. Social skills training has become crucial in relation to new policies in the Japanese mental health service system for the improvement of patients' coping skills in real life situations (such as the introduction of in vivo amplified skills training, or IVAST) , and for turning the "exodus plan" for returning long-term inpatients to the community into reality.