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Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access

MALATTIE RARE E PSICOTERAPIA COGNITIVA

No. 56 (2025)

Is psychotherapy feasible in intellectual disability? An exploratory study on the effects of an integrated neuropsychological cognitive-behavioral therapy program for young adults with Fragile X Syndrome

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc56-2025oa21770
Submitted
dicembre 23, 2025
Published
2026-01-12

Abstract

The present work offers insights into the application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in individuals with ID, presenting data collected from a sample of ten young adults from the Apulia region diagnosed with FXS. Specifically, the paper describes “Corp-Osa-
Mente” (CoM), a neuropsychological, integrated group CBT model. CoM combines in-person and online sessions and is conducted in close coordination with educational professionals, who serve as a bridge between the psychotherapeutic setting and daily life.
The study reports outcomes from a 12-month CoM program, during which quantitative pre- (T0) and post-intervention (T1) measures were collected. Data analyses revealed reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms, along with improvements in socio-pragmatic and communication skills, adaptive functioning, and quality of life at the end of the intervention.
These findings demonstrate that psychotherapy in individuals with ID is feasible, as people with FXS, when adequately supported, are capable of accessing and reflecting on their own cognitive and emotional content. The CoM protocol is currently being replicated in other genetic conditions associated with ID, and the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) on group CBT for adolescents with FXS (NCT06677866) is currently underway.

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