INTRODUCTION: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the adverse events occurring in people exposed to severe traumatic experiences, such as earthquakes. The devastating effects of such events and their associated losses are significantly higher in children and adolescents. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation on academic achievement with the moderating role of emotion regulation in earthquake-stricken adolescents with PTSD in Kermanshah. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted based on a pre- and post-test design with control and experimental groups. Among the students who were diagnosed with PTSD in Kermanshah earthquake, 48 cases were selected and assigned to the control and experimental groups. Data collection instruments were Captain's Log cognitive rehabilitation software, and motion Regulation Scale developed by Gratz and Roemer. Students' academic achievement was judged based on the scores obtained from end-of-semester transcripts and teachers' evaluations. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 26). FINDINGS: Based on the results, cognitive rehabilitation is effective in the academic achievement of students with PTSD (P<0.01). Moreover, emotion regulation can moderate the effect of this method on academic achievement (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: As evidenced by the obtained results, cognitive rehabilitation can effectively strengthen cognitive abilities and components related to executive functions. In so doing, it enhances the educational performance of students with PTSD and brings them academic achievement.
