Mediating effect of neurocognition between severity of symptoms and social-occupational function in anxious
Weijian Liu1, Yanling Zhou2, Wei Zheng2
1Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Metal Disorders, Guangzhou, China.
Background:
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with neurocognitive impairment and reduced social-occupational function. However, neurocognition and social-occupational function in patients with anxious depression have been under-investigated. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that neurocognition plays an important role in social-occupational function. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of severity of symptoms, neurocognition and social-occupational function in patients with anxious depression.
Method:
Using a cross-sectional design, 214 patients with MDD were recruited consecutively and evaluated using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HAMD-17), the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF).
Result:
The prevalence of anxious depression in MDD patients was 64.5%. Compared to non-anxious subjects, the anxious group had more severe symptoms. Moreover, in the anxious group, social-occupational function was associated with several domains of symptoms and neurocognition, while social-occupational function was associated with only one aspect of depressive symptoms (cognitive disturbance) in the non-anxious group. In addition, there was a mediating effect of neurocognition on the association between the severity of symptoms and social-occupational function in the anxious group.
Limitations:
The major limitation of the present study is the use of a cross-sectional design that is unable to illuminate causal relationships.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that the severity of symptoms is negatively associated with neurocognition and social-occupational function and that neurocognition is positively associated with social-occupational function in patients with anxious depression.
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