The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-Based Psychoeducation on Cognitive Flexibility and Rumination in the Elderly

Aging causes neuroanatomical and physiological changes that affect cognitive processes such as memory, attention, and executive functions. Positive developments in healthcare worldwide, along with increasing socioeconomic levels and declining birth rates, have led to an increase in the elderly population. Our country, like many other countries around the world, is one of the rapidly aging countries. With the increase in the elderly population, the needs specific to the elderly are increasing, and it is inevitable to encounter a series of problems.

As age increases, the cognitive abilities of older adults decline. Research shows that working memory and long-term memory abilities decline, as do reasoning ability, processing speed, executive function, and attention control. As a result, individuals' quality of life, independence, and daily activities such as planning medication and grocery shopping may be negatively affected.

Cognitive flexibility plays a fundamental role in the ability to adapt to constantly changing environments and is associated with various goal-directed behaviors, including creativity, problem solving, multitasking, and decision making. Cognitive flexibility and the underlying processes (executive functions) have also been linked to self- and emotional regulation, as well as mental health outcomes. Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to change one's cognitive organization, thinking, or attention in order to perceive, process, or respond to situations in different ways. The skills required for cognitive restructuring closely align with those related to cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility encompasses the ability to generate diverse ideas, evaluate response alternatives, and modify behavior and cognition in response to changing environmental demands. These processes appear to be important for the successful implementation of cognitive restructuring, which requires the individual to identify negative automatic thoughts, generate evidence that contradicts these thoughts, and then produce a more adaptive or helpful way of interpreting the situation.

Rumination is associated with inflexible cognitive and emotional processes. Various characteristics of rumination-related thinking, including its negative value content, abstract level of interpretation, and passive approach to problem-solving, may also contribute to its maladaptive outcomes.

In order to successfully carry out daily activities, it is necessary to be able to flexibly switch from one behavior to another. This skill is referred to as cognitive flexibility. Individuals who ruminate experience cognitive rigidity by getting stuck on a certain thought and find it difficult to change the behaviors they focus on. At the same time, cognitive rigidity is also thought to be the underlying cause of repetitive thinking patterns in rumination. It is well known that mental rumination, a negative and evaluative mode of repetitive thinking, is the main psychological process that accelerates and sustains depressive mood. In this context, rumination may be a variable that predicts cognitive flexibility. In particular, perseverative thinking styles have been found to negatively affect the ability to learn cognitive restructuring. Further research is needed to clarify whether older adults with weak cognitive flexibility can develop their cognitive restructuring skills through repetition rather than treatment, or whether alternative skills should be considered.

To date, there has been little research examining whether declines in cognitive abilities have an impact on overall treatment outcomes or the acquisition of specific therapeutic skills. Given the aging of the world's population, it is important to focus more research on understanding the impact of age-related cognitive changes in older adults on the treatment of mental health problems. This study will focus on cognitive flexibility and rumination, which are processes responsible for producing changes in behavior and thought in dynamic contexts and are subject to fluctuations and rapid changes.

Inclusion criteria

• Be 65 years of age or older,
• Be willing to participate in the study,
• Not have hearing or vision problems that would prevent understanding the training to be provided,
• Have communication and comprehension skills,
• Be literate,
• Have a Standardized Mini Mental Test score between 25 and 30 points.

Exclusion criteria

• Having any hearing or vision problems.
• Having physical, neurological, or psychological health problems that could disrupt group harmony and integrity.
• Having an illness or problem that could prevent them from responding to the measurement tools used in the study.
• Having a Standardized Mini Mental Test score below 25.