Analysis of the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation for patients with chronic mental illness: A meta-analysis

Jong-Sik Jang; Seri Oh; Geonwoo Kim; Narae Lee; Hyesu Song; Jihye Park; Yushin Lee; Minji Kim; Mihwa Kwon

doi:10.12998/wjcc.v11.i32.7822

Analysis of the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation for patients with chronic mental illness: A meta-analysis

World J Clin Cases. 2023 Nov 16;11(32):7822-7832. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i32.7822.

Authors

Jong-Sik Jang¹, Seri Oh², Geonwoo Kim², Narae Lee³, Hyesu Song¹, Jihye Park¹, Yushin Lee¹, Minji Kim¹, Mihwa Kwon⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Occupational Therapy, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 25949, South Korea.
² Department of Occupatioanl Therapy, Kangwon National University Graduate School, Samcheok 25949, South Korea.
³ Department of Occupational Therapy, U1 University, Chung-Cheong Bukdo 25949, South Korea.
⁴ Department of Occupation Therapy, Dongnam Health University, Gyeonggi-do 16328, South Korea. hotwith5625@hanmail.net.

Abstract

Background: People suffering from chronic mental illness are sensitive to stressful stimuli, lack coping skills, and have low self-esteem due to problems such as social situations. They also experience depression, isolation, fear, and frustration. Due to cognitive dysfunction, people suffering from chronic mental illness have inadequate cognitive processes that lead to distorted thinking.

Aim: To confirm the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation therapy in improving cognitive function and alleviating behavioral and psychological symptoms in patients with chronic mental illness, and to identify the cognitive function that had the main effect.

Methods: The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews criteria, and data published from 2011 to December 2022 were searched using PubMed, Cochrane, RISS, KISS, and DBpia. The keywords used in the search were "mental illness," "cognitive rehabilitation," "cognition," and "mental." A meta-analysis was conducted on the 12 selected papers.

Results: The level of evidence for the 12 documents was that of a randomized experimental study. Intervention types in cognitive rehabilitation can be divided into cognitive behavior, cognitive training, cognitive rehabilitation, and computerized cognitive programs. Most of the studies were on schizophrenia, and the measurement areas were cognitive functions (e.g., concentration, memory, and executive function) as well as depression, sociability, and quality of life. As a result of the meta-analysis of each variable, the effect size for cognitive rehabilitation treatment was in the following order: Sociability, memory, concentration, executive function, quality of life, and depression. Particularly, sociability and memory exhibited significant effects.

Conclusion: Cognitive rehabilitation aids cognitive function and sociability in patients with chronic mental illness and can be used as evidence for cognitive rehabilitation in mental health and occupational therapy.

Keywords: Cognitive function; Cognitive rehabilitation; Cognitive therapy; Cognitive training; Mental illness; Occupational therapy; Schizophrenia.