Poster #51 - Cognition moderates the response to a CBT-based personality targeting intervention for adolescent depressive symptoms.

• In Event: Poster Session 04

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability and morbidity among adolescents (OMS, 2021). Indeed, the first depressive episodes most often arrive during adolescence (Hankin, 2006; Malhi & Mann, 2018). Despite a still debated etiology, several risk factors have been identified, one of them being personality. In the literature, the relationship between personality traits and depression is well established (Castellanos-Ryan et al., 2016; Kotov et al., 2010). In fact, PreVenture, a school-based intervention, focuses on four personality traits allowing the prevention and/or the reduction of substance use disorders in adolescents (Conrod, 2016; Conrod et al., 2010). These personality traits are: “Sensation-seeking”, “Anxiety sensitivity”, “Impulsivity” and “Negative Thinking”. PreVenture has proven to be efficient for mental health disorders such as depression (Edalati & Conrod, 2019; O’Leary-Barrett et al., 2016). Indeed, the intervention allowed the reduction of depressive symptoms in the “Negative Thinking” group which is the most relevant group for depression (Castellanos & Conrod, 2006; O’Leary-Barrett et al., 2013). This is not surprising that this reduction has been observed in this group since there is a link between neurotism and depression (Castellanos-Ryan et al., 2016; Kotov et al., 2010). In his theory, Beck explained that cognition has an important role in the expression and the persistence of depression. According to him, depression is the result of experiencing negative events early in life (during childhood or adolescence). These experiences will reinforce negative cognition and in consequence, individuals will mostly focus on a negative vision of life explaining the treatment resistance issue. With this, we understand that cognition is the common ground between the development of depression and treatment alternative such as the PreVenture intervention. In this study, we would like to examine the moderating role of cognition in determining depressive outcomes in adolescents receiving the intervention. A latent growth model with a moderation analysis has been realized using MPlus 8 Software. The model includes random slope and intercept for depressive symptoms. Four baseline measures of cognition have been tested: spatial working memory, delayed recall memory, inhibitory control, and IQ. Considering the strong relationship between the negative-thinking trait and depression, the study only focused on the negative-thinking group. Controlling for sex and socio-economic status, findings suggest that poorer baseline spatial working memory performance is associated with a reduction of depressive symptom growth. Nothing has been significant with the others measures of cognition. Finally, these results show that adolescents with deficits in spatial working memory are the one that benefit the most from the intervention regarding depressive symptoms.

Author

• Marthiale Marie-Louisa Ngombe, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mere-Enfant Sainte-Justine
  Presenting Author