INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 05 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 02:30 pm - 03:45 pm Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry \| Addiction/Dependence \| Stress/Coping \| Emotional/Social Processes Final Abstract #94 A Comparison of Cognitive Impairment in Health Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the Moderating Roles of Social Connectedness Lynette Abrams-Silva, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, United States Category: Mood and Anxiety Disorders Keyword 1: anxiety Keyword 2: post-traumatic stress disorder Keyword 3: social processes Objective: Mood symptomatology often negatively impacts cognitive functioning; however, little is known about how some disorders, like health anxiety, might be unique contributing factors. Social connectedness has been found to protect against cognitive decline, and thus might mitigate some of the mental health-related negative effects on cognitive functioning. The current study aims to: 1) examine the associations between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and health anxiety symptomatology and cognitive functioning, and between 2) social connectedness and cognitive functioning, as well as the moderating roles of 3) social connectedness and 4) biological sex and race/ethnicity in the association between mental health symptomatology and cognitive functioning. Participants and Methods: Participants (N = 157) between 18 and 69 years old (M = 48.92) underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at a private practice in a medium-sized Southwestern city. The sample was 53.1% female and most participants reported living with at least one other person (83.1%) and as being in a partnered relationship (56.9%). Most of the sample identified as white (52.5%) or Hispanic (33.1%). Assessed cognitive domains included: attention, executive functioning, memory, perceptual reasoning, processing speed, verbal comprehension, and working memory. In addition to the neuropsychological test battery, participants completed measures of depression (PHQ-9), GAD (GAD-7), PTSD (PCL-5), and social connectedness (UCLA Loneliness Scale). Results: PTSD had a stronger negative effect on attention, perceptual reasoning, processing speed, verbal comprehension, and general cognitive functioning relative to GAD and health anxiety. Health anxiety was not significantly associated with any of the cognitive domains examined. Social connectedness was positively associated with attention, executive functioning, memory, perceptual reasoning, and general cognitive functioning. Significant interactions suggest that moderate to high levels of social connectedness may protect against the impact of PTSD symptomatology on verbal memory, perceptual reasoning, and verbal comprehension. There were no significant interactions for GAD or health anxiety. There were significant interactions between PTSD and executive functioning and visual memory for sex, as well as between health anxiety and several cognitive domains (i.e., attention, executive functioning, general cognitive functioning, working memory) for race/ethnicity. Conclusions: PTSD symptomatology appears to have a negative impact on several aspects of cognitive functioning, above and beyond symptoms of GAD and health anxiety, whereas social connectedness appears to have a positive impact. There was some evidence that social connectedness may protect against the negative effects of mental health symptomatology on cognitive functioning, although further research is needed to support this claim due to small sample size. Lastly, exploratory findings suggest that the impact of PTSD on cognitive functioning differs by sex, and that health anxiety may present differently across white and non-white individuals, which in turn may differentially impact cognitive functioning. Current findings highlight the importance of better understanding how mental health symptomatology impacts cognitive functioning, and the benefits of examining factors that may mitigate some of this harm. Furthermore, findings highlight the importance of addressing protective factors such as social relationships in therapy, particularly for PTSD, as well as examining the roles of sex and race/ethnicity in these associations.

Poster

Poster Session 05 Program Schedule

02/15/2024
02:30 pm - 03:45 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry | Addiction/Dependence | Stress/Coping | Emotional/Social Processes

Final Abstract #94

A Comparison of Cognitive Impairment in Health Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the Moderating Roles of Social Connectedness

Lynette Abrams-Silva, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, United States

Category: Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Keyword 1: anxiety
Keyword 2: post-traumatic stress disorder
Keyword 3: social processes

Objective:

Mood symptomatology often negatively impacts cognitive functioning; however, little is known about how some disorders, like health anxiety, might be unique contributing factors. Social connectedness has been found to protect against cognitive decline, and thus might mitigate some of the mental health-related negative effects on cognitive functioning. The current study aims to: 1) examine the associations between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and health anxiety symptomatology and cognitive functioning, and between 2) social connectedness and cognitive functioning, as well as the moderating roles of 3) social connectedness and 4) biological sex and race/ethnicity in the association between mental health symptomatology and cognitive functioning.

Participants and Methods:

Participants (N = 157) between 18 and 69 years old (M = 48.92) underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at a private practice in a medium-sized Southwestern city. The sample was 53.1% female and most participants reported living with at least one other person (83.1%) and as being in a partnered relationship (56.9%). Most of the sample identified as white (52.5%) or Hispanic (33.1%). Assessed cognitive domains included: attention, executive functioning, memory, perceptual reasoning, processing speed, verbal comprehension, and working memory. In addition to the neuropsychological test battery, participants completed measures of depression (PHQ-9), GAD (GAD-7), PTSD (PCL-5), and social connectedness (UCLA Loneliness Scale).

Results:

PTSD had a stronger negative effect on attention, perceptual reasoning, processing speed, verbal comprehension, and general cognitive functioning relative to GAD and health anxiety. Health anxiety was not significantly associated with any of the cognitive domains examined. Social connectedness was positively associated with attention, executive functioning, memory, perceptual reasoning, and general cognitive functioning. Significant interactions suggest that moderate to high levels of social connectedness may protect against the impact of PTSD symptomatology on verbal memory, perceptual reasoning, and verbal comprehension. There were no significant interactions for GAD or health anxiety. There were significant interactions between PTSD and executive functioning and visual memory for sex, as well as between health anxiety and several cognitive domains (i.e., attention, executive functioning, general cognitive functioning, working memory) for race/ethnicity.

Conclusions:

PTSD symptomatology appears to have a negative impact on several aspects of cognitive functioning, above and beyond symptoms of GAD and health anxiety, whereas social connectedness appears to have a positive impact. There was some evidence that social connectedness may protect against the negative effects of mental health symptomatology on cognitive functioning, although further research is needed to support this claim due to small sample size. Lastly, exploratory findings suggest that the impact of PTSD on cognitive functioning differs by sex, and that health anxiety may present differently across white and non-white individuals, which in turn may differentially impact cognitive functioning. Current findings highlight the importance of better understanding how mental health symptomatology impacts cognitive functioning, and the benefits of examining factors that may mitigate some of this harm. Furthermore, findings highlight the importance of addressing protective factors such as social relationships in therapy, particularly for PTSD, as well as examining the roles of sex and race/ethnicity in these associations.