Predictors of the severity of cognitive impairment in adolescents with depression

Abstract

The aim of the work was to describe the clinical manifestation and severity of cognitive impair- ment and its predictors in adolescents with depression. Forty adolescents with depression and forty healthy controls were recruited to conduct the study. All adolescents were screened using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (Current and Lifetime) (K-SADS-PL), the Traumatic Events Checklist (TESI-C), and a battery of neu- rocognitive tests to assess the cognitive functions of children. Compared to the control, children in the experimental group had significantly lower results in visual and auditory attention and memory (all p < 0.005). In addition, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and the presence of previous psychological trauma were statistically significant predictors of the severity of cognitive impairment in depressed adolescents.