karim abdolmohamadi; farhad ghadiri
Abstract
Abstract
Depression is a mood disorder that results in persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest. The purpose of this study was to compare the executive functions and sluggish cognitive tempo of individuals with depressive disorder to those who are normal. The present study utilized a descriptive ...
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Abstract
Depression is a mood disorder that results in persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest. The purpose of this study was to compare the executive functions and sluggish cognitive tempo of individuals with depressive disorder to those who are normal. The present study utilized a descriptive causal-comparative method. The statistical population consisted of clients with depression disorder who visited Health Centers in Tabriz city. A total of 100 participants were selected to take part in the research. The executive skills questionnaire (Strait et al., 2019), Sluggish Cognitive Tempo questionnaire (Beker et al., 2017), and the depression screening questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used to collect data. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance indicated that individuals with depression exhibited weaker performance in all components of executive functions (planning, time management, emotion regulation, organization, and behavior regulation) compared to the healthy group (p < 0.001). Additionally, the Sluggish Cognitive Tempo component was significantly higher in depressed individuals than in normal individuals (p < 0.001). Therefore, based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that individuals with depression experience serious deficiencies in executive functions and encounter more problems in the Sluggish Cognitive Tempo component than the healthy group.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Major depressive disorder is a widespread psychological disorder that affects public health worldwide (Vancappel et al, 2021). Studies have shown that depression is related to deficits in executive functions (Hawkey, 2017; Wagner et al, 2012), wich means people with major depressive disorder show more deficits in executive functions (LeMoult & Gotlib, 2019). Executive functions are a set of skills that enable individuals to plan and meet goals, self-regulate, and stay focused in face of distractions (Abdolmohammadi et al, 2019). Slow cognitive tempo is a relatively new clinical construct that refers to symptoms such as lethargy, daydreaming, sleepiness, mental confusion, and slow thinking and behavior (Becker, 2021; Bernad et al, 2016). However, research on Slow Cognitive Tempo (SCT) as a separate disorder from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) has not been well-established for people with depressive disorder. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare levels of executive functions and Slow Cognitive Tempo between two groups: those with depressive disorder and those without.
Literature Review
Researches have reported that individuals with depression who have more deficits in their executive functions tend to experience more resistance in the treatment process (López-Sola et al, 2020), leading to more challenging treatment outcomes. While some studies have showed a link between executive functions and depression, others have produced conflicting results. For example, Nakano et al (2008) and Pardo et al (2006) both found no significant difference between the executive functions of depressed and non-depressed individuals. Despite this ambiguity, research has shown a strong connection between major depressive disorder and slow cognitive rhythm disorder (Bernad et al, 2016), leading to the hypothesis that cognitive tempo disorder may be a distinct clinical construct worth investigating, particularly in the context of depression. However, Burns et al (2013) suggested through their research that cognitive tempo disorder and major depressive disorder are two unrelated disorders that should be treated separately. Overall, while there is evidence supporting the relationship between executive functions and depression, more consistent and robust research is needed to understand the extent of this connection.
Methodology
The present study adopted a descriptive causal-comparative method. A total of 100 participants with depression disorder who were clients of the health centers in Tabriz city were selected. The Executive Skills Questionnaire, Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Questionnaire, and Depression Screening Questionnaire (PHQ-9), were used to collect data.
Results
The results obtained from univariate analysis of variance show two groups with depressive disorder and healthy in terms of sub-components of functions, with depressive disorder and healthy in terms of sub-components of implementation functions (planning, time management, emotion regulation, organization and regulation of behavior) as well as slow cognitive tempo are significantly different from each other. Supplementary investigations show that the healthy group has fewer executive function defects than the group with depressive disorder, and the problem of slow cognitive tempo is more common in the depressed group than in the healthy group.
Conclution
The study suggests that individuals with depressive disorder scored lower than healthy controls all most components of executive functions. Additionally, the results indicated that individuals with depressive disorder experienced a higher level of slow cognitive tempo compared to healthy controls.
Keywords: Depression, Executive Functions, Sluggish Cognitive Tempo.
Acknowledgments
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all individuals who participated in this study, as well as the health care providers and staff of the health centers of Tabriz who lent us their invaluable aid and support in conducting this research.
shiva akhavan; ahmad abedi; Sheida Jabalameli
Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of play therapy based on the parent-child relationship on emotional self-regulation of primary school children with sluggish cognitive tempo. The present study was quasi-experimental with a pretest, posttest, control group, and two-month ...
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The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of play therapy based on the parent-child relationship on emotional self-regulation of primary school children with sluggish cognitive tempo. The present study was quasi-experimental with a pretest, posttest, control group, and two-month follow-up period design. The statistical population of the present study included primary school children with sluggish cognitive tempo in the city of Isfahan in the spring of 2021. 35 children with Sluggish Cognitive Tempo were selected through a multi-stage clustered sampling method and they were randomly accommodated into experimental and control groups (17 children in the experimental group and 18 children in the control group). The experimental group received eight seventy-five-minute play-therapy sessions based on parent-child relationship interventions for one month. The applied questionnaires in this study included a sluggish cognitive tempo questionnaire (McBurnet et al, 2014) and an emotional self-regulation questionnaire (Shields & Cicchetti, 1998). The data from the study were analyzed through Mixed ANOVA via SPSS23 software. The results showed that play therapy based on the parent-child relationship has a significant effect on the emotional self-regulation of primary school children with sluggish cognitive tempo (p<0.001). According to the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that play therapy based on the parent-child relationship can be applied as an efficient method to increase the emotional self-regulation of primary school children with sluggish cognitive tempo through employing Empathetic and intimate reflection of the child's feelings, encouragement and strengthening of parents and making communication problems with children natural.