Depression and Executive Dysfunction in Young Adults; Implications For Therapy - Depression and Executive Dysfunction in Young Adults; Implications For Therapy - Open Access Pub

The prevalence of young adults endorsing depressive symptomatology is thought to peak during late adolescence. While there has been a wealth of research assessing the relationship between decline of the prefrontal cortex and how this process impacts depression and therapy in older adults, very little is known about the relationship on the younger end of the continuum. The current study sought to explore whether there is also a significant relationship between executive functioning and depression in younger adults. In addition, different types of executive dysfunction were assessed to better understand the possible implications for therapy in younger adults with depressive symptomatology. Data from 1,730 college-aged participants were collected on measures of depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression, CES-D) and executive dysfunction (Dysexecutive Questionnaire, DEX). In addition, three factors of the DEX were assessed; Executive cognition (EC), emotional/ behavioral control (EMO), and metacognition (MC). Correlations between CES-D scores and the full DEX survey were statistically significant (R = .45, p < .001) as were correlations between CES-D scores and scores on each individual factor (p< .001). A multiple linear regression was run to demonstrate the predictive value of each individual DEX factor as a function of CES-D scores (p < .001). Results suggested that there was a clear relationship between depressive symptoms and executive dysfunction and that all factors of the DEX appeared to be affected by depressive symptoms in this population. The implications of these results for therapy, particularly the use of problem-solving therapy or complimentary executive functioning training are discussed. DOI10.14302/issn.2476-1710.jdt-15-825 The relationship between executive functioning (EF) and depression, both in terms of the etiology of the disorder and the efficacy of treatment, has been a topic of growing interest to researchers. There has been a wealth of studies over the past two decades stressing the importance of understanding the role of (EF) in treatment of older adults with depression.1, 2, 3, 4 EF is a complex construct, but generally thought to encompass higher-order cognitive processes that are necessary for successful everyday activities.5 The role of EF in older adults is of particular interest due to the relationship between EF and the frontal lobes, specifically the prefrontal cortex (PFC). For decades, researchers have noted changes in the PFC of older adults that suggest greater decline than other brain regions.6, 7, 8,