Impact of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder on cognitive processing capacity

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5377/ryr.v1i61.20656

Keywords:

Stroop, depression, anxiety, executive, cognitive

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between EF, especially inhibitory control (the ability to suppress arbitrary responses), and the risk of mental health problems, such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in young individuals. We classified participants using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory II Restructured Form (MMPI-II RF) and we assessed their EF using the Stroop Color and Word Test. The sample consisted of 11 young adults with MDD, 9 with GAD and 11 healthy controls. Participants with MDD and GAD scored significantly worse on the Word task and the Interference score of the Stroop Test. However, there were no differences in this performance between the MDD and GAD groups. Contrasts of this kind would not have been possible in the Color task, where cognitive effort was lower and there was less language interference, and the task was clearer denominative function. To sum up, these results indicate that MDD is associated with increased deficits in response inhibition and that GAD impairs automatic cognitive performance. Both disorders have complex implications that require specific intervention measures.

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Author Biography

José Rodolfo Pérez Rosales, Francisco Gavidia University

Licenciatura en Psicología, Universidad Centroamericana «José Simeón Cañas», El Salvador
Maestría en Psicología Clínica y de la Salud, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, España
Maestría en Psicología de la Salud, Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana, México
Investigador asociado del Instituto de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (ICTI) de la Universidad Francisco Gavidia, El Salvador

Published

2025-07-03

How to Cite

Pérez Rosales, J. R. (2025). Impact of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder on cognitive processing capacity. Reality and Reflection, 1(61), 190–205. https://doi.org/10.5377/ryr.v1i61.20656

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Articles