Mindset. A cognitive rehabillitation training for young adults with psychotic spectrum disorder in an educational setting: A pilot study

Many students with a psychotic disorder have cognitive problems, which interfere with their school functioning. This study will test the applicability, feasibility, and effectiveness of a Cognitive Remediation training, named Mindset, in 60 students (aged 18 and older) with a psychotic spectrum disorder from regular education, namely MBO (intermediate vocational education), HBO (higher vocational education), and WO (university education). The training will be given at four participating Mental Health Care institutions. Half of the participants (N=30; 10 students per institution) will receive the training whereas the other half will act as an active control group. The CR-group will receive the CR consisting of thirteen individual-based meetings of one hour spread over thirteen weeks. The control group will receive twelve weekly assignments per email of one hour, plus a session zero for the assessment of their personal goals.

We hypothesize that students having psychotic problems that followed the training show increased participation in education, increased school performance, less early school leaving, and improved cognitive functioning which are mediated by increased strategy use.

Measurements will be done at baseline (T0), post-treatment (T1), and follow-up 6 months after T1(T2).

Intervention group receives a twelve weekly sessions of one hour.

The control group receives twelve weekly assignments via e-mail with a duration of approximately one hour.

Both groups get a one hour introduction session before the start of the study.