Feasibility Study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as an Intervention for Mild Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Indonesians

摘要

In Indonesia, non-medication-based methods for the treatment of elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remain non-existent. This study aimed to test the feasibility of applying culturally sensitive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of elderly individuals with MCI. This study was designed as a non-randomized pre-post-test study with a control group. The participants were elderly Indonesian individuals with MCI (N = 48; treatment, n = 30; control, n = 18). The intervention comprised six sessions of manualized CBT delivered to a group of six to seven participants over 3 weeks. Outcome measures were analyzed through analysis of covariance with pre-test scores as covariates. The results showed that by the end of the intervention period, the participants in the treatment group scored significantly better than those in the control group on the Mini Mental State Examination (F (1, 45) = 6.91, p < .05, nation (F (1, -word Delay Recalled Test (F (1, 45) = 71.22, p < .01, 45) = 71.22Trail-making Test A (F (1, 45) = 4.21, p < .05, ηe = 0.06), and Memory Function Questionnaire-Frequency of Forgetting (F (1, 45) = 10.17, p < .01, ηr = 0.14). These promising results demonstrated that CBT can improve MCI. Although the effectiveness of the treatment remains unclear given the lack of randomization and active control group in the present study, the results are promising and warrant further investigation through randomized controlled trials.