Problem-solving skills deficit

Problem-solving skills deficit describes a cognitive impairment characterized by a reduced ability to identify problems, generate alternative solutions, make effective decisions, and implement or evaluate problem resolution strategies. This deficit is considered a manifestation of impaired executive function, a domain involving planning, flexibility, inhibition, and working memory, and is implicated in a range of psychiatric and neurological conditions, including ADHD, major depressive disorder, suicidality, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and neurodegenerative diseases. It is not a therapeutic target in the classical sense (such as a receptor or enzyme), but rather a neuropsychological symptom or syndrome often measured via behavioral tasks or clinical assessment tools. Interventions are typically behavioral (such as cognitive remediation, problem-solving therapy), occasionally pharmacological (indirectly, by treating the underlying disorder), and educational.

Other names

Problem-solving deficitsProblem-solving deficit disorderPSDDDeficit in problem-solving abilityProblem-solving impairment