The influence of depression and anxiety on cognitive functioning

The extant body of literature concerning the impact of depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders on cognitive abilities is largely divided. The current study attempted to replicate and extend previous research efforts in its exploration of the influence of psychological distress on cognitive abilities. The present study utilized a sample of individuals who were referred to a community-based psychological services center for neuropsychological or psychoeducational assessment in order to determine the extent to which an individual's performance on measures of intellectual, academic, and cognitive functioning are influenced by the presence of psychological distress. Self-report measures of psychological functioning were analyzed and compared to various performance-based assessments of intellectual functioning, academic achievement, memory, and executive functioning. The current study also examined whether specific psychological diagnoses were associated with differential performances on cognitive measures. Lastly, the present study explored whether individuals with psychologically comorbid disorders showed different patterns of performance on cognitive measures. Some notable correlations were discovered between symptoms of depression and information processing abilities, although findings generally indicated that mild or subclinical symptoms of depression and anxiety do not contribute to clinically meaningful performance deficits on cognitive testing. Furthermore, groups based on diagnostic classification did not generally differ with respect to cognitive functioning. The overall sample evidenced relatively low levels of psychological distress with regard to depression and anxiety. The results from the current study may suggest that the cognitive, intellectual, and achievement measurements of interest are not sensitive enough to detect differences in performance among individuals with low levels of emotional distress. Correlations between cognitive assessment variables and self-report measures of depression and anxiety seem to indicate that further research is warranted to examine the potential for the incremental negative influence of psychological distress on test performance.