CAI

Cognitive impairment, for example lower executive function or shorter attention span, is common in people with severe mental illness (SMI), and can negatively impact daily life and well-being. To assess cognitive status, a neuropsychological examination may be performed. Unfortunately, comprehensive neuropsychological examination may not always be possible due to practical limitations with respect to availibilty of psychologists or testing capacity of patients. In such instances an interview may be a suitable alternative to assess cognitive function across different domains.

The Cognitive Assessment Interview (CAI) is a semi-structured interview to assess the impact of cognitive impairment on daily life in people with SMI. Previous research showed that the CAI was a potentially valuable instrument to assess cognitive function in people with schizophrenia (Ventura et al. 2010). In the current study, we will assess the clinical value of the Dutch version of the CAI (CAI-NL) for people with SMI. To assess clinical value we will differentiate between feasibility (is the CAI-NL feasible for people with SMI?), acceptability (is the potential burden for service users acceptable given the potential gain?) and usability (are the outcomes of the CAI-NL useful in clinical practice?). All-in all, we hope to gain insight in the usefulness of the CAI-NL for patients, caregivers and staff in long-term clincial psychiatric health care for people with SMI.

Project partners:

• Lentis
• University of Groningen
• Opleidingsinstituut PPO

Involved GRIP researchers:

• Lisette van der Meer
• Irma Nijkamp
• Lianne Sanders
• Tim van Brouwershaven

Others involved:

• Dr. Joseph Ventura, University of California, Los Angeles
• Jennifer Slootmaker, MSc