Jumping-to-conclusions bias, cognitive function, and intolerance of uncertainty in adolescents with major depressive...

The jumping-to-conclusions (JTC) bias, which involves making hasty decisions based on limited evidence, has been extensively studied in schizophrenia spectrum disorders but remains under-explored in affective disorders, particularly among adolescents. This study aimed to: (1) assess JTC bias in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD), (2) examine its relationships with clinical symptoms, cognitive functions, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and (3) evaluate the potential impact of comorbid conditions.

Forty-three adolescents with MDD (mean age = 14.70 ± 1.32 years; 26 female) and 33 age-matched healthy controls (mean age = 14.97 ± 1.47 years; 15 female) completed two computerized JTC tasks (beads task and words task) with varying difficulty levels. Measures included draws to decision (DTD), decision threshold (DT), and the reaction time of the final decision (final reaction time, FRT). Participants also completed the Stroop Test, Letter-Number Span Test, and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale.

Generalized estimating equations revealed no significant group differences in DTD, DT, or FRT. A significant group-by-difficulty interaction was found for DT: the MDD group showed significantly lower DT than controls under easy conditions. Correlational analyses indicated that working memory was associated with more DTD, while higher depression and anxiety severity and poorer executive function were linked to longer FRT. Comorbidity did not affect task performance. Results were consistent across both JTC paradigms.

Adolescents with depression demonstrated reduced decision thresholds but not a typical JTC bias. Future studies should consider the role of working memory in clinical populations.