BACKGROUND: Cognitive remediation represents an effective treatment for improving functional outcome of psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia or depression. However, in clinical routine the therapeutic approach has not been established continuously. This can be partly attributed to doubts about the reasonableness of cognitive remediation for psychiatric patients. Therefore the current study investigates psychiatric patients' acceptance of, motivation for, and exhaustion due to cognitive remediation compared to an established treatment programme.
METHODS: 21 psychiatric patients who simultaneously participated in occupational therapy and cognitive remediation rated the motivation, exhaustion, enjoyment, and effort on a visual analogue scale (VAS) over five weeks with regard to the respective therapy.
RESULTS: The ratings of occupational therapy and cognitive remediation did not differ relating to motivation, exhaustion, and enjoyment. The subjective effort in cognitive remediation was higher than that in occupational therapy.
DISCUSSION: Cognitive remediation is evaluated as being equivalent to an already established treatment programme by psychiatric patients concerning motivation, enjoyment, and exhaustion. Doubts about the acceptance and reasonableness of cognitive remediation could not be confirmed. In clinical routine cognitive remediation as an effective and accepted therapeutic approach should be integrated as a standard procedure for various disorders.
