Maudsley Talks highlights support for thinking difficulties in psychosis
Professor Dame Til Wykes led the latest Maudsley Talks session, focusing on how cognitive remediation can support recovery for people experiencing psychosis.
The talk, titled Food for Thought: Helping People with Psychosis Think More Clearly, took place at the Wolfson Lecture Theatre, with people attending both in person and online.
Dame Til is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London. Her talk focused on thinking difficulties experienced by many people with severe mental health problems, and how these can affect recovery.
Speaking about why she chose to give the talk, Dame Til said:
“I wanted to raise awareness that thinking difficulties affect many people and can play a significant role in recovery. They can limit how much someone is able to benefit from rehabilitation programmes, as well as their ability to achieve personal goals.”
Dame Til explored the development of cognitive remediation, an evidence based psychological therapy designed to support people with psychosis to improve thinking skills such as memory, attention and problem solving.
The session also examined why the implementation of cognitive remediation has been slow, despite evidence of its benefits. Dame Til discussed barriers including scientific scepticism, commercial interests and challenges around how evidence is evaluated.
She said:
“I want people to take action. There are evidence-based cognitive remediation programmes, including one developed here, that are effective and work for many people. They can help people move towards the goals they want to achieve, and should be available to anyone with severe mental health problems whose thinking difficulties are getting in the way of their recovery."
The talk highlighted the importance of supporting cognitive functioning as part of mental health care, and ensuring that evidence based therapies are made available to the people who could benefit from them.
Dame Til also reflected on the value of having people with lived experience involved in the discussion, saying:
“I am very pleased that there were a lot of people here who are peer support workers and people with lived experience.”
The session concluded with an engaged Q&A session with lots of questions on a range of details led by Dr Eirini Skouta, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions and reflect on how cognitive remediation can better support recovery for people with psychosis.
The Maudsley Talks series continues to showcase leading research and innovation in mental health, building on South London and Maudsley’s close partnership with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London.
