Introductory Information for Therapists

Chapter 1 discusses what cognitive remediation is, why and where it is done, and who can benefit. From a psychiatric rehabilitation perspective, cognitive remediation is considered one of the skill-training interventions. Like other psychiatric rehabilitation interventions, it focuses on individuals’ skills and supports to improve the success and satisfaction they experience in their chosen living, learning, working, and social environments. Many psychiatric illnesses are associated with cognitive deficits in the areas of attention, memory processing speed, and executive functioning. Cognitive remediation is intended to help people develop the underlying cognitive skills that can make them better able to function in daily tasks, including school, work, social interactions, and independent living.