How Can We Better Assist Caregivers With Understanding and Addressing the Cognitive Health Needs of People With Psychotic Disorders?

Abstract

Cognitive impairment is a prominent feature of psychosis-spectrum disorders that impedes functional recovery. Globally, clinical guidelines recommend that evidence-based treatments, including cognitive remediation and cognitive compensation, are offered to people with psychosis with cognitive impairment. Clinical guidelines also recommend that, where possible, family is involved in the mental health treatment of their loved ones more broadly. Nevertheless, there is little guidance on how to assist family members with understanding and addressing the cognitive health needs of people with psychotic disorders. This is despite a demonstrable relationship between this symptom domain and caregiver burden as well as a clear need for greater professional supports from the perspectives of consumers and carers. In this article, we highlight the impact of cognitive impairment in psychosis on caregiver outcomes and argue the need to increase efforts to promote knowledge about cognitive health among caregivers via cognition-specific psychoeducation and/or more active involvement in cognitive rehabilitation. We showcase some of the existing cognition-specific resources that are available to caregivers and propose areas in need of future research. We conclude this article by presenting several practical recommendations for how clinical teams can advance their support of family members caring for loved ones with psychosis and cognitive impairment when it is clinically appropriate to do so and the consumer their caregiving network are agreeable.