The Role of Executive Function on Adolescent Affective Problems
Grice, Tori
:
2019-03-15
Abstract
Objective: The current study examined the associations among executive function, secondary control coping and affective problems. Method: A sample of 104 adolescents (ages 9-15 years old) completed cognitive assessments and self-report measures of affective problems and secondary control coping. Results: A history of maternal depression was associated with higher levels of affective problems in adolescents. Additionally, lower levels of working memory were associated with higher levels of affective problems in older adolescents. Secondary control coping and an interaction between age and working memory both predict levels of affective problems in adolescents, but secondary control coping did not explain the relationship between working memory and affective problems. Conclusions: Results highlight the potential importance of executive function in addition to secondary control coping when examining affective problems in adolescents.