Strategies for Achieving Better Cognitive Health in Individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum: A Focus on the Canadian Landscape: Stratégies pour atteindre une meilleure santé cognitive chez les personnes souffrant du spectre de la schizophrénie : un regard sur le paysage canadien

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) are a group of psychiatric disorders characterized by positive and negative symptoms as well as cognitive impairment that can significantly affect daily functioning.

METHOD

We reviewed evidence-based strategies for improving cognitive function in patients with SSDs, focusing on the Canadian landscape.

RESULTS

Although antipsychotic medications can address the positive symptoms of SSDs, cognitive symptoms often persist, causing functional impairment and reduced quality of life. Moreover, cognitive function in patients with SSDs is infrequently assessed in clinical practice, and evidence-based recommendations for addressing cognitive impairment in people living with schizophrenia are limited. While cognitive remediation (CR) can improve several domains of cognitive function, most individuals with SSDs are currently not offered such an intervention. While the development of implementation strategies for CR is underway, available and emerging pharmacological treatments may help overcome the limited capacity for psychosocial approaches. Furthermore, combining pharmacological with non-pharmacological interventions may improve outcomes compared to pharmacotherapy or CR alone.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights the challenges and discusses the potential solutions related to the assessment and management of cognitive impairment to help mental health-care practitioners better manage cognitive impairment and improve daily functioning in individuals with SSDs.

Supported employment interventions with people who have severe mental illness: Systematic mixed-methods umbrella review

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Primary and review studies show that supported employment interventions showed promise in assisting people with severe mental illness (SMI) in achieving successful employment and health-related outcomes. This umbrella review synthesises evidence from across review studies on supported employment interventions for individuals with SMI, to identify key findings and implementation challenges in relation to five key outcomes: (1) employment, (2) quality of life, (3) social functioning, (4) clinical/service utilisation, and (5) economic outcomes.

METHODS

A systematic search of eleven databases and registers (CINAHL, Cochrane, EmCare, JBI EBP, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and Prospero and Campbell) was conducted to identify meta-analyses and systematic reviews on supported employment interventions for individuals with SMI, peer reviewed and published in English. Quality assessment and data extraction were performed using standardised Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools. A mixed-methods synthesis approach was employed to integrate both quantitative and qualitative evidence.

RESULTS

The synthesis of 26 review studies primarily focused on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model among various supported employment interventions. Overall, combining supported employment with targeted interventions such as neurocognitive therapy and job-related social skill training showed a positive effect on employment (including job retention) and non-employment outcomes (e.g., health, quality of life, social functioning) relative to standard forms of supported employment for people with SMI. Contextual factors (intervention fidelity, settings, systemic barriers) were important considerations for intervention implementation and effectiveness.

DISCUSSION

Significant overlap of primary studies across 26 review studies exposed considerable variations in interpretation and conclusions drawn by authors, raising questions about their reliability. High volume of overlap reporting from the USA on IPS interventions in review studies is likely to have biased perceptions of effectiveness. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for supporting individuals with SMI in obtaining and maintaining employment. Tailoring strategies based on individual needs and circumstances appears crucial to address the complexity of mental health recovery. We propose creating centralised registries or databases to monitor primary studies included in reviews, thus avoiding redundancy.

OTHER

This umbrella study was registered with PROSPERO (No. CRD42023431191).

Supported employment interventions for workplace mental health of persons with mental disabilities in low-to-middle income countries: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To review the evidence of supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries, documents their impact for persons with mental disorders in the open labour market and well as support decision making for its wider implementation in the workplace.

DESIGN

The scoping review is conducted following guidelines in the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) Framework.

DATA SOURCES AND ELIGIBILITY

Eleven databases which are PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Premier, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Africa-Wide Information, Humanities International Complete, Web of Science, PsychInfo, SocINDEX, Open Grey and Sabinet were searched for articles published between January 2006 and January 2022. Both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature were eligible if they were on supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries. Only articles published in English were included.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS

Articles were screened at title, abstract and full article levels by two independent teams with the use of Rayyan software. Deductive thematic analysis was used to synthesize evidence on the supported employment interventions implemented in LMICs, capturing evidence of their outcomes for persons with mental disabilities securing competitive work.

RESULTS

The search yielded 7347 records and after screening by title and abstract, 188 studies were eligible for full article screening. Eight studies were included in this scoping review. Thematic descriptions of the findings were based on the availability of supported employment interventions within the context, the type of supported employment interventions as well as mental health and vocational outcomes in the workplace.

CONCLUSIONS

There is limited evidence of supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries despite the promising potential it has as an intervention to address mental health problems in the workplace and facilitate work participation by persons with mental disabilities.

Effectiveness of personal recovery facilitators in adults with schizophrenia and other psychoses: A systematic review of reviews and narrative synthesis

This review aimed to examine the evidence base for the use of personal recovery facilitators [non-psychopharmacological approaches] for adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and other psychoses. A systematic review (umbrella review) was conducted of reviews published in English between January 2010 and February 2022, which examined the effectiveness of personal recovery facilitators to support aspects of personal recovery as defined by the CHIME framework (connectedness, hope and optimism, identity, meaning and purpose, and empowerment). Twenty-one systematic reviews on thirteen different types of personal recovery facilitators [PRFs] were included in this umbrella review. Only one review sought to directly measure personal recovery processes according to the CHIME framework. Outcome measures mostly aligned with the processes of hope (21 reviews) and connectedness (19 reviews). Those related to empowerment (2 reviews), identity (5 reviews) and meaning and purpose (1 review) were less frequently the focus of PRFs. Yoga and music therapy showed the most promise as PRFs. Vocational treatments and integrated supported employment show good potential as personal recovery facilitators. However, together with narrative photovoice, art making and exhibition, they require further robust research to fully examine their impact. Personal recovery is only beginning to be considered as an intended outcome of interventions for persons with schizophrenia and other psychoses. This may be due in part to the continued predominance of the biomedical model approach to recovery within statutory services. Future evaluations of PRFs should include outcome measures that directly assess personal recovery according to the CHIME framework or other measures developed in consultation with recipients of these approaches. Review registration number and date: PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020215471: 10/11/20.