Why we need to screen to intervene as part of cognitive rehabilitation in mental health settings.

Abstract

This letter discusses the need to screen to intervene as part of cognitive rehabilitation in mental health settings. It is noted that cognitive impairment is a prominent transdiagnostic feature of many psychiatric disorders that is highly prevalent, persistent, and minimally responsive to medication and predicts functional disability. The prevalence and impact of cognitive impairment provides impetus for routinely conducting cognitive evaluations in psychiatric disorders. It remains somewhat puzzling, then, that cognitive screening-one pathway for triaging cognitive assessment referrals or briefly assessing functioning- does not occur routinely in clinical practice. Cognitive screening may help with identifying people who could benefit from evidence-based treatments recommended in practice guidelines. Screening may also encourage conversations about subjective concerns, which can influence consumer decisions to participate in evidence-based treatments or uptake health-promoting resources. The future of psychiatric rehabilitation must include the greater use of cognitive screening in clinical practice, either as a method of detecting impairment, identifying areas of preserved functioning, or both. Consumers with mental illness want mental health care services to support them with addressing cognitive deficits and identifying strengths. There are known barriers that can hinder cognitive screening implementation, however, recent research has shown that building workforce capability, opportunity, and motivation within a clinical and organizational context that supports the need for and use of screening can result in meaningful practice change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).