(PS6-70) Does a Negative Interpretation Bias Strengthen the Association Between Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents?

Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS), previously referred to as sluggish cognitive tempo, includes symptoms involving mental fogginess and confusion, excessive daydreaming, and slowed behavior/thinking which are strongly related to but distinct from both ADHD and internalizing symptoms (Barkley, 2014; Becker et al., 2023). A growing number of studies consistently show CDS to be uniquely associated with greater depressive symptoms, above and beyond ADHD symptoms (Smith et al., 2020; Becker et al., 2021). Importantly, two longitudinal studies have found CDS symptoms to predict increases in depressive symptoms over time, providing some directional clarification of this association (Becker et al., 2021; Fredrick et al., 2022). However, no studies have examined what factors may strengthen the association between CDS and depressive symptoms. Cognitive theories point to interpretation bias, which includes maladaptive information processing whereby emotionally aversive meaning is perceived in ambiguous situations, as important for understanding the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms (Beck & Haigh, 2014; Everaert et al., 2012). Accordingly, the current study tested the hypothesis that a negative interpretation bias would moderate the association between CDS and depressive symptoms. Participants were a diverse community-based sample of 336 early adolescents (ages 10-12 years; 52.7% female; 61.9% White, 30.7% Black, 6% Asian, 2.1% American Indian, .9% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; 9.5% Hispanic/Latinx). A multi-method, multi-informant design was used including adolescent- and caregiver-reported CDS and depressive symptoms. Interpretation bias was assessed using the Scrambled Sentences Task administered to adolescents. Regression analyses were conducted, with child age, sex, race, ethnicity, medication status, and caregiver-reported ADHD symptom dimensions included as covariates. In regression models examining adolescent-reported depressive symptoms, higher caregiver- and adolescent-reported CDS symptoms and interpretation bias scores were each independently associated with higher depressive symptoms (all ps < .01), but CDS and interpretation bias did not interact in predicting depression (ps > .05). In contrast, significant CDS symptoms × interpretation bias interactions were found in models using both caregiver- and adolescent-reported CDS symptoms in relation to caregiver-reported depressive symptoms (ps = .01 and .003, respectively), such that CDS was more strongly associated with depression at high levels of interpretation bias. These findings provide evidence that negative interpretation bias strengthens the relationship between CDS symptoms and depressive symptoms, specifically when depressive symptoms are rated by caregivers. Findings highlight the importance of multiple informants when examining CDS and internalizing symptoms, with a need for longitudinal research to examine CDS and interpretation bias in relation to the progression and maintenance of depression across adolescence.