22q11.2 deletion syndrome (
22q11.2DS) is associated with high rates of
anxiety disorders,
psychotic disorders, and other psychiatric conditions. In the general population,
psychiatric disorders are treated with proven pharmacological and non-pharmacological
therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). To begin to assess the feasibility and efficacy of non-pharmacological
therapies in
22q11.2DS, we performed a systematic search to identify literature on non-pharmacological interventions for
psychiatric disorders in individuals with
22q11.2DS. Of 1,240 individual publications up to mid-2016 initially identified, 11 met inclusion criteria. There were five literature reviews, five publications reporting original research (two originating from a single study), and one publication not fitting either category that suggested adaptations to an intervention without providing scientific evidence. None of the original research involved direct study of the evidence-based non-pharmacological
therapies available for
psychiatric disorders. Rather, these four studies involved computer-based or group interventions aimed at improving neuropsychological deficits that may be associated with
psychiatric disorders. Although the sample sizes were relatively small (maximum 28 participants in the intervention group), these reports documented the promising feasibility of these interventions, and improvements in domains of neuropsychological functioning, including working memory, attention, and social cognition. The results of this review underline the need for research into the feasibility and efficacy of non-pharmacological treatments of
psychiatric disorders in individuals with
22q11.2DS to inform clinical care, using larger samples, and optimally, standard randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trials methodology.