The Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Rehabilitation and Compassion-Based Therapy on the cognitive Flexibility of the Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Recognizing the needs and health status of the elderly is a decisive issue of any society, and to empower and improve the elderly’s conditions, innovative therapeutic and rehabilitative approches should be investigated. Therefore, the current study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation and compassion- based therapy on cognitive flexibility of elderly people with mild cognitive impairment. This was a quasi- experimental study with pretest- posttest design with a control group and a one-month follow- up. The statistical population included all the elderly with mild cognitive impairment living in Tehran who referred to the health centers of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2021, among whom 42 people were selected using purpesful sampling method and randomly assigned to the cognitive rehabilitation, compassion- based therapy, and control groups. Each of the theraputetic methods of cognitive rehabilitation and compassion- based therapy was performed for the related experimental groups in eight 90- minute sessions, and the control group received no training at this time. The measure applied in this study included Dennis and Vander Wal’s cognitive flexibility questionnaire. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-26 software. The results revealed that both cognitive rehabilitation and compassion- based therapy were effective on the variables of perceived control, perceived behavioral justification, and perceived choice in the elderly with mild cognitive impairment (p<0.05). However, cognitive rehabilitation was more effective than compassion- based therapy on perceived justification. Based on the results of the study, the educational packages of this study can be used in elderly care homes and centers to improve their quality of life.