Objective  Cognitive impairment is a pervasive outcome of stroke, reported in over half of patients 6 months poststroke and is associated with increased disability and a poorer quality of life. Despite the prevalence of post-stroke cognitive impairment, the efficacy of existing psychological interventions for the rehabilitation of cognitive impairment following stroke has yet to be established. The aim of this study is to identify psychological interventions from nonrandomised studies that intended to improve post-stroke cognitive function and establish their efficacy. Design  Systematic review and meta-analysis of nonrandomised studies of psychological interventions addressing post-stroke cognitive impairment. Data sources  Electronic searches were performed in the Pubmed, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases, the search dating from inception to February 2017. Eligibility criteria  All non-randomised controlled studies and quasi-randomised controlled trials examining psychological interventions to improve cognitive function following stroke were included, such as feasibility studies, pilot studies, experimental studies, and quasi-experimental studies. The primary outcome was cognitive function. The prespecified secondary outcomes were functional abilities in daily life and quality of life. Methods  The current meta-analyses combined the findings of seven controlled studies, examining the efficacy of psychological interventions compared with treatmentas-usual controls or active controls, and 13 one-group pre–post studies. Results  Results indicated an overall small effect on cognition across the controlled studies (Hedges' g=0.38, 95% CI=0.06 to 0.7) and a moderate effect on cognition across the one-group pre–post studies (Hedges' g=0.51, 95% CI=0.3 to 0.73). Specific cognitive domains, such as memory and attention also demonstrated a benefit of psychological interventions. Conclusions  This review provides support for the potential of psychological interventions to improve overall cognitive function post-stroke. Limitations of the study, in