Examining differential relationships among self-reported attentional control, depression, and anxiety in a...

Poor attentional control, defined as difficulty focusing attention on a task or shifting attention flexibly between tasks, is a transdiagnostic construct theorized to confer risk for, and maintain, depression and anxiety. Research to date in non-clinical samples has suggested a dissociable relationship between the two factors of self-reported attentional control and psychopathology, with depression being associated with difficulties shifting and anxiety being associated with focusing. However, to our knowledge no study has tested this differential set of relationships in a clinical sample.

Adults (N = 493) presenting for psychiatric treatment completed measures of depressive and anxiety symptom severity and self-reported attentional control. Hierarchical linear regression and Zou's (2007) confidence interval method were used to examine the relationship between clinical symptoms and attentional control.

Both shifting and focusing were significantly correlated with anxiety and depressive symptoms in this sample. However, focusing was more strongly associated with clinical symptomatology than shifting, which showed a weak correlation.

All constructs were measured cross-sectionally by self-report questionnaires.

In contrast to studies conducted in non-clinical samples, attentional focusing appears to be more relevant than attentional shifting in a clinical sample for both depression and anxiety symptoms. These findings lend support to efforts to develop neurocognitive interventions that improve focusing. Replication of these findings, particularly in longitudinal studies, is warranted.