Cognitive remediation to improve the vocational outcomes of people with severe mental illness

ABSTRACT

The present study investigates the effects of cognitive remediation (CR) training with Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in people suffering from severe mental illness in European population (Spanish). Sixty-five participants (83% with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder) were recruited from community mental health teams. Fifty-seven met the criteria and agreed to participate in the study. The conditions of cognitive rehabilitation were assigned randomly with support employment CR + IPS (n = 28) and IPS alone (n = 29). Two groups were followed at 8 and 12 months after the baseline. Participants in the CR + IPS group improved more than the IPS only group during the follow-up period in measures of cognitive functioning (significantly higher in executive functions, verbal learning and memory) and obtained higher employment percentages during the follow-up period, including people who got a job after 8 months (52.2% versus 29.2%, p = .023) and after 1 year (60.9% versus 37.5%, p = .025), as well as, in the weekly hours worked (37.2 versus 26.7 h, p = .023). Retention in the CR + IPS program was high (82.14%). The calculated global cognitive score showed that the evolution over time differed significantly between groups (p < .001).

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive therapy
• rehabilitation
• psychosis
• schizophrenia
• employment

Acknowledgement

The authors thank the collaboration of SINPROMI (Sociedad Insular para la Promoción de las Personas con Discapacidad) andIASS (Instituto Insular de Atención Social y Sociosanitaria de Tenerife), Cabildo de Tenerife and University of La Laguna.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.