(PS3-35) Socioeconomic Status as a Moderator for Cognitive Functioning and Depression and Anxiety in Young Adults

Depressive and anxiety disorders are disabling conditions that often feature impairments across multiple cognitive domains. These impairments lead to worse functional outcomes, like higher risk of relapse. However, the conditions under which depression and anxiety are associated with cognitive functioning are unclear, with varying relationships observed across domains and populations. Lower socioeconomic status is a risk factor for internalizing symptoms and cognitive impairment in children. Facets of SES, like parent education and neighborhood income, differentially impact access to resources that influence cognitive and emotional development. How these constructs interact in young adulthood, a key period for cognitive development and the onset of internalizing disorders, is also unclear. The present study utilized a diverse young adult sample and hypothesized that childhood SES would moderate the relationships between depression and anxiety and cognitive functioning, such that cognitive difficulties would predict more severe symptoms in those with lower SES. Depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), anxiety (PROMIS Anxiety Scale), and cognitive functioning (NIH Cognitive Toolbox) were assessed in 62 young adults with at least mild anxiety or depression (ages 18-25, 76% female, 29% Black, 52% White, 8% Asian, 11% multiracial). Additionally, information about caregivers’ education and the median income of participants' childhood zip code was obtained to create an SES composite. Multiple linear regression evaluated the association between depressive and anxiety symptoms and various cognitive domains, testing SES as a moderator. Childhood SES significantly moderated the effect of episodic memory on depression (b = 0.31, SE = 0.14, p < 0.05), such that poorer episodic memory predicted higher depressive symptoms for those at average (b = -0.31, SE = 0.10, p < 0.01) and below average (b = -0.15, SE = 0.07, p < 0.05) SES. SES also significantly moderated the effect of fluid cognition on depression (b = 0.32, SE = 0.15, p < 0.05), such that lower fluid cognition predicted higher depressive symptoms for those at below average SES (b = -0.27, SE = 0.10, p < 0.01). SES overall did not moderate the relationships between any cognitive domains and anxiety, but a significant interaction emerged using caregiver education level. Primary caregiver’s highest level of education moderated the relationship between working memory and anxiety (b = -0.14, SE = 0.05, p < 0.01), such that poorer working memory predicted lower anxiety symptoms in those with below average caregiver education level (b = 0.16, SE = 0.07, p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that cognitive difficulties in episodic memory and fluid cognition are associated with worse depression in those with a lower childhood SES, even after entering adulthood. Surprisingly, the data suggest a protective effect of poorer working memory on anxiety symptoms for those with lower primary caregiver education levels. This is in line with prior research indicating improved cognitive performance at higher levels of anxiety. Our findings underscore the importance of considering socioeconomic factors when evaluating the link between cognitive functioning and mental health outcomes in young adults.