None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Perceived cognitive difficulties are prevalent in people with mood and complex trauma. This includes difficulties in concentration, attention, planning and organisation, capacity to multitask, processing speed, and recall. The consequences of cognitive impairment include reduction in self-esteem, capacity to absorb information, and procrastination, as well as increases in the time necessary to complete tasks and avoidance of decision making. Such impairments can consequently impact individuals' performance at work, in relationships and in hobbies, and diminish the benefits of therapy. These circumstances necessitate the development of affordable and accessible interventions that can be offered to individuals experiencing cognitive function deficits associated with mood and trauma disorders. Cognitive training has been shown to be efficacious in aging populations, and populations with mild cognitive impairment, psychosis, and mood disorders. There is clear scope to develop and implement cognitive training for mood and complex trauma disorders in women's mental health. The research activities outlined in this application will specifically address the mental health needs of women with mood and complex trauma disorders. Gender differences in mental ill health are well documented. The proposed project seeks to improve symptoms of mood and complex trauma disorders in women by improving underlying problems in cognitive abilities. The outcomes of this cognitive training research will directly benefit women. The broader benefits of this research activity will help retain females in work and study, including perimenopausal women who often reduce their engagement in the workforce. Hence, this research activity will aid age and gender diversification and expertise in the modern workforce. The aim of this research is to design and implement a cognitive training program (COGtrain) tailored toward women’s mental health. That is, incorporating education about the influence of sex hormones and reproductive life events on mood and cognition. This research activity will employ an open-label feasibility trial design with the aims of (a) examining the feasibility of utilizing COGtrain among women with mood and complex trauma disorders and (b) determining whether COGtrain leads to significant improvements on measures of perceived cognitive impairment; neuropsychological and psychological functioning, and individual goal setting.
Interventions
Cognitive training may offer some promise in improving cognitive functioning. The type of cognitive training suggested to have the most generalisable benefits is an approach that employs ‘‘top-down’’ strategy training, with the aim of supporting memory skills, concentration, decision-making, and goal-directed behaviour.
The training program will incorporate i)individualised goal setting; ii) psychoeducation to explain how mood and trauma exposure can change the way we think (i.e. cognition) and
Cognitive training may offer some promise in improving cognitive functioning. The type of cognitive training suggested to have the most generalisable benefits is an approach that employs ‘‘top-down’’ strategy training, with the aim of supporting memory skills, concentration, decision-making, and goal-directed behaviour. The training program will incorporate i)individualised goal setting; ii) psychoeducation to explain how mood and trauma exposure can change the way we think (i.e. cognition) and iii) strategies for training different cognitive skills, including memory, attention, problem-solving and decision making, inhibitory control and emotion regulation. The topics covered during the 8 sessions will be the following: Introduction, Organisation, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Attention, Memory Skills, Emotional Regulation, Cognitive Flexibility, and Pulling Everything Together/Reflections/Feedback. Mode of training will include psychoeducational content/lessons, interactive activities (group activities including acting out scenarios/case studies, memory and active listening challenges; individual activities including completing personalised wellness wheels, personality inventories), reflection and group discussion, mindfulness practice, short videos, homework activities (such as journaling, creative expression challenges, keeping attention logs). The frequency/duration of the intervention will be 1 x 2.5 hours session per week for eight weeks. The mode of administration will be face-to-face group sessions. Sessions will be co-facilitated by a neuropsychologist (principal investigator) and Cabrini mental health clinical staff. Session attendance checklists will be used to monitor adherence. Allocation will be determined by participants' choice to participate in COGTrain, or to participate in the control group while maintaining treatment as usual.
Sponsors
Monash University
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Mental health difficulties; self-reported difficulties with cognition
Exclusion criteria
None
Outcome results
None listed