Prevalence and relevance of neurocognitive challenges in patients admitted to a secondary mental health outpatient clinic.

Abstract

Background: Knowledge on factors affecting mental health is pivotal to offer the appropriate help for patients referred to mental health services. Neurocognitive challenges affect a person's capacity to cope in life. If underlying issues with cognitive functioning rather than psychiatric pathology cause suffering and failure to function, other measures than merely psychiatric treatment may be needed. However, there is a lack of knowledge on occurrence of neurocognitive challenges in the general psychiatric outpatient population.

Material and method: This study included 283 outpatients in a Community Mental Health Center. Information of previous neurocognitive testing as a proxy for cognitive challenges was registered by patient file exploration. Psychiatric symptoms as well as demographics were reported by patients and clinicians.

Results: Of 283 participants, 45 (15.9%) had previously been tested for neurocognitive function, 217 (76.7%) had not been tested and for 21 (7.4%) information was lacking. Patients in the group tested were younger and had a lower level of education. They had higher use of psychotropic drugs, i.e. especially stimulants, and had a history of more psychiatric treatment and more school challenges. Clinicians reported higher cognitive challenges and lower social competence among this group.

Discussion: A group of patients referred to specialized psychiatric treatment suffer from neurocognitive challenges that may affect their daily life function and symptoms more than merely psychiatric disorders. This indicates that neurocognitive difficulties should be assessed and adjusted for before further psychiatric treatment is initiated. Findings should be further explored.