Anxiety and depression aggravate impulsiveness: the mediating and moderating role of cognitive flexibility

Empirical research suggested that individuals with anxiety and/or depression exhibited action on the spur of the moment, with little consideration for the consequences of their actions. However, it remains unclear whether the precise mechanisms underlying the impacts of anxiety and depression on impulsivity. The present study examined how anxiety and depression influence impulsivity, as well as the mediating and moderating role of cognitive flexibility. A sample of 477 Chinese university students was recruited. All participants finished self-report measures of anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and cognitive flexibility. No significant gender difference was found in anxiety, depression, cognitive flexibility, and three subscale scores of impulsivity. Greater scores of anxiety and depression were associated with lower scores of cognitive flexibility and higher levels of impulsivity. Depression and cognitive flexibility could predict attention impulsivity and nonplanning impulsivity, while anxiety and cognitive flexibility could predict motor impulsivity. Cognitive flexibility served as a mediator in the links of anxiety and three subscales of impulsivity. Furthermore, cognitive flexibility moderated the impact of anxiety on motor impulsivity.