A-24 An Evaluation of Anxiety, Depression, and Neuropsychological Performance before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Objective High levels of depression and anxiety have been consistently linked to performance on neuropsychological evaluations. In this regard, recent evidence of increased emotional distress due to COVID-19 may exacerbate impairment typically demonstrated on evaluations. The current study examined differences in the severity of depression and anxiety ratings reported before and during COVID-19, and the relationship between mood and cognitive functioning before and during COVID-19. Method 75 adults seeking neuropsychological assessment services from a private outpatient clinic in January 2020 and 2021 were included in the study. Depression, anxiety, and cognitive functioning were measured using the BDI-II, BAI, RDS, FAS, and Trailmaking test. T-tests were conducted to examine mood and cognitive differences between groups. Correlations were used to assess the relationship between mood and cognitive functioning. Results T-tests revealed no significant differences between groups for anxiety, depression, performance validity, verbal fluency, and Trailmaking tests. No significant relationship was observed between reported mood level and cognitive functioning before and during COVID-19. A significant correlation was observed between age and anxiety, which showed that older adults reported less anxiety. All statistical findings will be reported fully in the poster. Conclusions No significant change in emotional distress was found between pre- and during COVID-19 groups. The absence of measurable change may also suggest measures commonly employed should be reviewed and possibly modified to better capture the distress experienced by patients during the pandemic.