Case Report: Successful Implementation of Integrative Cognitive Remediation for Early Psychosis.

• Published in: Frontiers in Psychiatry
• Main Authors: Vidarsdottir, Olina G, Roberts, David L, Twamley, Elizabeth W, Gudmundsdottir, Berglind, Sigurdsson, Engilbert, Magnusdottir, Brynja B
• Other Authors: 1Department of Psychiatry, Landspitali-The National University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. 2Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. 3Division of Community Recovery, Research and Training, Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States. 4Department of Psychiatry, University of California, La Jolla, CA, United States. 5Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health and Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States. 6Department of Psychology, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Research Foundation 2021
• Subjects: compensatory cognitive training; functional outcome; rehabilitation; schizophrenia; social cognition and interaction training; Hugræn atferlismeðferð; Geðsjúkdómar; Cognitive Remediation; Psychotic Disorders; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/621685; https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.624091

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Download Many individuals demonstrate functionally relevant impairment in neurocognition as well as social cognition early on in the course of their psychotic disorder. There is robust evidence supporting cognitive remediation as an effective treatment of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Increasingly it is accepted that earlier treatment is associated with better outcome and that it is important to systematically assess and treat cognitive dysfunction before the cognitive and functional disabilities are fully realized. However, the clinical availability of these interventions remains sparse. As we move forward with implementing evidence-based interventions into multi-component treatment for early psychosis, it is important to reflect on experience as well as evidence. This case report aims to describe the implementation of an integrative cognitive remediation program in coordinated specialty care (CSC) for early psychosis in Iceland and investigate whether the intervention is sustainable in a CSC setting. Data on the number of patients treated, facilitators trained, groups conducted, and funding was used to assess the sustainability. The results show that since initial implementation in 2016, the intervention has been routinely available as part of standard care, with over 100 patients having received the treatment. The report discusses key factors in the successful implementation of the program. Keywords: compensatory cognitive training; functional outcome; rehabilitation; schizophrenia; social cognition and interaction training. Research Fund Landspitali-The National University Hospital of Iceland 2017/2018 University of Iceland