Impairment and executive functioning associated with symptoms of sluggish cognitive tempo, ADHD, anxiety, and depression
Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examined the relationships among Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT), ADHD, anxiety, and depression symptom sets in a college sample, and the extent to which these symptom sets predicted executive functioning and functional impairment. Also, this study investigated (a) the extent to which functional impairment and executive functioning (EF) problems were uniquely accounted for by SCT symptoms when controlling for ADHD, anxiety, and depression symptoms, and (b) which high symptom group accounted for the greatest amount of impairment. College students (N = 458) completed a demographic questionnaire and self-report scales of ADHD, SCT symptoms, anxiety, and depression symptoms, as well as functional impairment and EF problems. Students were divided into four groups: high levels of SCT symptoms (High SCT: n = 45), high levels of ADHD symptoms (High ADHD: n = 10), high levels of SCT and ADHD symptoms (High SCT + ADHD: n = 15), and those without high levels of SCT or ADHD symptoms (Controls: n = 388). Thirteen percent of the sample was found to have high levels of SCT, and most of these students did not have a diagnosis of ADHD or high number of ADHD symptoms. The results indicated that SCT symptoms share a moderate to strong correlation with the other symptom sets; however, high levels of SCT symptoms often occur separate from high levels of ADHD, anxiety, or depression symptoms. Interestingly, SCT symptoms accounted for the most unique variance for both EF problems and functional impairment. Both SCT groups (High SCT and High SCT + ADHD) demonstrated more impairment and executive function problems than the controls. It appears that SCT may be a separate clinical construct worthy of additional study in college students.
Author: Whitney L. M. Wood
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W101460304